Short-lived indie rock group
Cende delivered a stirring brand of power pop. Guitarist Dave Medina,
Porches drummer Cameron Wisch, and
LVL UP drummer Greg Rutkin were all recent graduates of Purchase College when they first moved into Brooklyn music venue and housing unit David Blaine's The Steakhouse. The trio began playing together in 2013 after discovering a shared appreciation for garage punk outfit
the Marked Men. Bassist Bernard Casserly (Normal Person) soon rounded out the lineup, and with Wisch and Medina acting as main songwriters, the quartet self-released the EP
Cende in early 2016. Featuring production by
Ronnie Stone and guest vocals by
Frankie Cosmos,
Cende's full-length debut,
#1 Hit Single, arrived in May of 2017 on Double Double Whammy. The band toured the U.S. and Canada with
(Sandy) Alex G and
Japanese Breakfast in support of its release before announcing in November that they were parting ways in order to focus on other projects.
Cende played two farewell shows with
Vagabon and
Radiator Hospital in Philadelphia and New York City, with their final show falling on December 9, 2017 at the Bowery Ballroom. ~ Marcy Donelson