18th & Addison

Lore & Background

18th & Addison formed in November 2013 as an acoustic duo. Kunzman was formerly in the punk band A Criminal Risk, and DiBenedetto was one of MTV's first recording artists with her then solo project; she is also the guitarist in What's Eating Gilbert, the side project of Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory. The duo met playing local shows at a youth center and began writing songs together. Their name combines Kunzman's house number (18) with the street where DiBenedetto grew up (Addison).

The band released their debut EP, Little Parasites, on January 20, 2015, followed by their debut studio album Makeshift Monster on July 15, 2016. In June 2017, they were finalists on Ernie Ball: PLAY Warped Tour 2017 and played in Camden, New Jersey, where Kunzman proposed to DiBenedetto on stage. Their second EP, Vultures, was announced on March 3, 2018. The song 'Mission To Mars' from Ace Frehley's 2018 album Spaceman was not co-written by DiBenedetto and Kunzman.

Reader's Guide

18th & Addison represent a modern iteration of the pop punk and alternative rock tradition, emerging from the New Jersey music scene. Their significance lies in their DIY approach and personal storytelling, with lyrics that explore self-realization and relationships. The duo's transition from acoustic beginnings to a full electric sound, as described by DiBenedetto, allowed their songs to 'sound bigger and better' than anticipated. Their inclusion as finalists on the Ernie Ball: PLAY Warped Tour 2017 and subsequent opening slot for New Found Glory on the Sick Tour XL in 2018 highlight their growing presence in the punk community. The band's collaborative work with Ace Frehley on the song 'Mission To Mars' from his album Spaceman (2018) demonstrates their reach beyond the punk scene. Their legacy is tied to their honest, energetic music and the personal narrative of Kunzman and DiBenedetto's partnership, both musical and romantic, culminating in their marriage in 2019.

Did You Know?

• The band name combines Tom Kunzman's house number (18) with the street where Kait DiBenedetto grew up (Addison).
• Kunzman proposed to DiBenedetto on stage at their first Warped Tour appearance in Camden, New Jersey, in July 2017.
• DiBenedetto and Kunzman were co-writers on the song 'Mission To Mars' from Ace Frehley's 2018 album Spaceman.
• The music video for 'Broke Down in Babylon' (2021) was self-filmed using an iPhone, an old lighting rig, and white tablecloths.

Formation & Origins

Tom Kunzman and Kait DiBenedetto first crossed paths at local youth-center shows in Toms River, New Jersey, where they gradually recognized how much creative overlap they shared. By November 2013, that friendship had crystallized into a duo. Kunzman brought experience from the punk outfit A Criminal Risk, while DiBenedetto carried a résumé that included being one of MTV's earliest recording artists and serving as guitarist for What's Eating Gilbert, the side project of New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert. After their respective bands dissolved, the shift toward a two-person project felt like a natural and unavoidable next step. They began as an acoustic pair, and their very first collaborative composition, "Running," predates the point at which they seriously committed to the project. The band's name emerged casually at Kait's house: "Addison" nods to where she grew up, and "18" is the number on Tom's street. Together the pairing felt like a destination rather than a single word, and it anchored the duo in their shared homes, families, and the relationship that undergirds their music.

Discography & Musical Evolution

The duo's catalog traces a steady arc from intimate beginnings to broader sonic ambition. Their debut extended play, Little Parasites, arrived in January 2015 with seven tracks and the lead single "Jealousy," a record both members described as a candid distillation of everything they had learned in prior bands. In July 2016 they self-released Makeshift Monster, an eleven-track studio album headlined by the single "War," after a year of touring the United States to build momentum. The second EP, Vultures, dropped in June 2018 with "Time Bomb" as its lead single, and the band spent the spring opening for New Found Glory on the Sick Tour XL. A notable gap followed before "Leeches" surfaced in May 2019, leading to a signing with Wiretap Records in July and the four-song EP Old Blues/Modern Love in September, which the pair called their favorite release to date. In 2021 they issued "Broke Down in Babylon," a collaboration with Taking Back Sunday's Fred Mascherino, continuing their pattern of blending punk energy with melodic songcraft.

Defining Moments & Personal Milestones

Several events blurred the line between 18th & Addison's musical career and their personal lives. In July 2017, as finalists on the Ernie Ball: PLAY Warped Tour, the duo played a set in Camden, New Jersey, and near its close Kunzman proposed to DiBenedetto on stage—making their first Warped appearance a double milestone. Their professional reach extended well beyond the punk circuit when, in October 2018, they were credited as co-writers on "Mission To Mars," track seven on Ace Frehley's album Spaceman, a project tied to his tenure as KISS's guitarist. The couple's relationship culminated in an October 2019 wedding after nearly nine years together, just weeks after the release of Old Blues/Modern Love. In 2021, amid the restrictions of the pandemic, they self-directed and filmed the "Broke Down in Babylon" video entirely from home using an iPhone, a basic lighting rig, and white tablecloths as a backdrop—a testament to resourcefulness under constraint.

Creative Process & Sonic Identity

18th & Addison's sound sits at the intersection of alternative rock and pop punk, but their method of making music sets them apart from many peers in that space. Both members emphasize that their songs are composed on acoustic guitars before any electric instruments enter the picture. DiBenedetto has explained that this sequence—writing acoustically and then layering in electric guitars, drums, and bass lines during recording—gives the finished tracks a sense of scale and energy that surprises even the writers. The approach means a song can feel more expansive and powerful than its acoustic skeleton suggested, and it translates into a live performance that feels particularly kinetic. This philosophy also shaped how they handled the 2021 single "Broke Down in Babylon": rather than booking a studio or a crew, they shot the music video at home with an iPhone, a used lighting rig, and white tablecloths standing in for a set, proving that their creative instincts prioritize the song's emotional core over production polish.

Gallery