Shudder to Think

Shudder to Think is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C.–based label Dischord Records, and two on Epic Records. Their early work was largely influenced by post-hardcore although they gradually drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including power pop and glam rock.

File:Graig-Wedren.jpg

Craig Wedren performing with Shudder to Think in the early 1990s.

History

In 1984, bassist Stuart Hill formed the hardcore punk band Stüge, recruiting drummer Mike Russell, alongside guitarist Sam Fleming and vocalist Bobby Jones. By 1986, Fleming and Jones left for college, with Hill inviting guitarist Chris Matthews, who had been playing in new wave group 3-2-1, to join the band. Matthews in turn suggested vocalist Craig Wedren, a high school acquaintance, after seeing him perform at a school play and being impressed by his singing. Shortly after, the band changed its name to Shudder to Think, after Russell said that he “shuddered to think that we would be just another hardcore band” during a drive to practice. It was this lineup and name change that drove the band to abandon its previous hardcore influenced sound to something more akin to post-hardcore.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In this incarnation, the band released one song on the Fetal Records compilation F-R-5 in 1987 ("Too little, too late"), two singles and one album (Curse, Spells, Voodoo, Mooses, 1989) before being signed by the Dischord label. Three albums were then released (Ten-Spot, 1990, Funeral at the Movies, 1991, and Get Your Goat, 1992), before the band gained greater exposure by touring with Fugazi and Smashing Pumpkins; with their May 7, 1992, show in Albig, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.21.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Swiz ex-bassist Nathan Larson and ex-Jawbox drummer Adam Wade replaced Matthews and Russell in 1992 on guitar and drums respectively. Matthews and Russell last performed live with the band on January 1, 1992,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and June 28, 1992,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> respectively, as announced by Wedren to the crowd during those concerts.

The band subsequently signed to Epic, with whom Pony Express Record was released in September 1994. The album's angular, mathematical post-hardcore earned it a devoted cult following – especially after the video for the track "X-French Tee Shirt" became a buzz clip on MTV and was regularly aired on the channel, as well as an article in Rolling Stone. The track also peaked at #36 on the Radio and Records Alternative chart.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album had sold 30,000 copies in the United States by the end of October 1994,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and by February 1997 had sold 60,000 copies.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Over the next few years, Wedren successfully battled Hodgkin's Disease, Larson recorded an album with side project band Mind Science of the Mind, and Wade left the group. He was replaced by Kevin March, formerly drummer with Dambuilders.

They released another album, 50,000 B.C. in 1997, touring in support of it with March on drums, and touring member Chuck Scott on keyboards and percussion.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album was released to mixed reviews and was a commercial flop.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was after this that the band pivoted to writing soundtracks for films, composing the soundtracks to First Love, Last Rites, High Art, and providing two songs for the film Velvet Goldmine in 1998.

However, 1998 marked Larson's departure and the end of the group. Wedren has pursued a solo career, including an appearance on the Down to You soundtrack with "Didn't Mean to Do You Harm", and contributed backing vocals to Verve Pipe's 1999 eponymous album.

Both Larson and Wedren have gone on to create highly regarded music for films. David Wain, founder of comedy troupe The State, was a high-school friend of Wedren's, and Wedren's music has appeared in many television series and films stemming from the troupe and its alumni, such as Reno 911! and Wet Hot American Summer. Wedren also makes solo music, and released his debut album, Lapland, in 2005. Larson has formed a new band called Hot One.

Reunions

Wedren, Larson, and March performed a brief set together on September 17, 2007, at The Mercury Lounge in New York City, which also featured guitarist Mark Watrous and Time of Orchids bassist Jesse Krakow playing in the lineup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The band continued to perform shows with Watrous and Krakow throughout 2008, with March playing the eastern dates and Wade on the western dates and New Orleans. The band released a live album entitled Live from Home in 2009. Without Larson, the band played what was billed as a "final" show on September 2, 2009, at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This show also featured founding guitarist Chris Matthews, who played during the show's encore.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Shudder to Think reunited again in 2013 for the 20th anniversary of the Black Cat venue. In addition to a full set by the Pony Express Record lineup of Wedren, Larson, Wade and Hill, founding members Chris Matthews and Mike Russell performed on the encore.

The band reunited in March 2025, performing two shows at Los Angeles' Permanent Records Roadhouse and debuting the new song "Playback".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Legacy

Shudder to Think has been listed as an influence by other bands – Incubus went as far as covering part of "X-French Tee Shirt" in their song "Nowhere Fast" during Lollapalooza in 2003.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jeff Buckley also listed Shudder to Think as a favorite band of his.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1998 Pearl Jam invited Shudder to Think to open for them on a tour of Australia and even played a snippet of the Shudder song "Pebbles" during their set.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Deftones have cited Shudder to Think as an influence<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and have even covered bits of "X-French Tee Shirt"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref> and "So Into You" at live shows. Cursive mentions the band in their song "Sink to the Beat" off their EP, Burst and Bloom. Sunny Day Real Estate and Braid have also cited the band as an influence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

OK Go frontman Damian Kulash has expressed admiration for Shudder to Think, stating "I worshipped them. There was one year I saw them twelve times."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web

}}</ref> Kulash has specifically noted the band's impact on his music:

"Shudder To Think: They taught me a certain sense of intentional rock. Their music was decidedly counter-intuitive. It was weird, especially Get Your Goat and Pony Express Record. It was music that refused to resolve something you already knew and was really beautiful and melodic and emotional. (...) Shudder made music unlike anything else you ever heard and was still poppy and beautiful and accessible. I think it convinced me that there’s space for music to be interesting and challenging while still beautiful."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Musical style

The band, which has been classified as post-hardcore,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> embraced "pop influences and a skewed sense of songwriting"<ref name="AllmusicBio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while coming from a hardcore punk background "courtesy of their affiliation" with Dischord.<ref name="AllmusicBio"/> Reviewer Charles Spano characterized some of the band's work as the result of the group skewing "their pop brilliance with Ric Ocasek grooves, a [David] Bowie and [...] Roxy Music glam bent [...], and the theatrics of Queen."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In the 2018 book Long Live Queen, when DJ/VJ Matt Pinfield was asked if Queen was an influence on 1990s alt-rock, he replied:

"Look at a band like Shudder to Think and a song like 'X-French Tee Shirt,' which was such a great song, because [the middle part] was one note, and he was singing two octaves over that."<ref>Prato, Greg (2018). Long Live Queen: Rock Royalty Discuss Freddie, Brian, John & Roger. p. 154</ref>

In an interview from 1995, James Iha of The Smashing Pumpkins praised the band's originality, saying:

"Shudder to Think, I think, is a wholly original, amazing rock band. They're a rock band but they're totally different than what you've heard before in the guitar playing, the drumming, the bass, singing, it's all amazing. If you listen to a Shudder to Think record, you might be able to point to a few references but there's no way you could tag that band. And they're good, they write good songs. They're totally original."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Band members

Current members

• Craig Wedren - lead vocals (1986–1998, 2007–2009, 2013, 2025–present); guitar (1991–1998, 2007–2009, 2013); keyboards (1996–1998)
• Nathan Larson - guitar (1992–1998, 2007–2008, 2013, 2025–present); keyboards (1996–1998)
• Clint Walsh - guitar (2025–present)
• Jherek Bischoff - bass (2025–present)
• Adam Wade - drums (1992–1996, 2008, 2013, 2025–present)

Former members

• Chris Matthews - guitar (1986–1992, 2009, 2013)
• Mark Watrous - guitar (2007–2009)
• Stuart Hill - bass (1986–1998, 2013)
• Jesse Krakow - bass (2007–2009)
• Mike Russell - drums (1986–1992, 2013)
• Kevin March - drums (1996–1998, 2007–2009)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:950 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:5 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1986 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1986 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1986

Colors =

 id:Vocals  value:red         legend:Vocals
 id:Guitar  value:green       legend:Guitar
 id:Bass    value:blue        legend:Bass
 id:Keys    value:purple      legend:Keyboards
 id:Drums   value:orange      legend:Drums
 id:Lines   value:black       legend:Studio_album
 id:bars    value:gray(0.95)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

LineData=

 at:06/01/1988 color:black layer:back
 at:06/15/1990 color:black layer:back
 at:05/01/1991 color:black layer:back
 at:04/01/1992 color:black layer:back
 at:09/13/1994 color:black layer:back
 at:02/25/1997 color:black layer:back

BarData =

 bar:Wedren    text:"Craig Wedren"
 bar:Matthews  text:"Chris Matthews"
 bar:Larson    text:"Nathan Larson"
 bar:Watrous   text:"Mark Watrous"
 bar:Walsh     text:"Clint Walsh"
 bar:Hill      text:"Stuart Hill"
 bar:Krakow    text:"Jesse Krakow"
 bar:Bischoff  text:"Jherek Bischoff"
 bar:Russell   text:"Mike Russell"
 bar:Wade      text:"Adam Wade"
 bar:March     text:"Kevin March"

PlotData=

 width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(11,-4)

 bar:Wedren   from:01/01/1986 till:12/01/1998 color:Vocals
 bar:Wedren   from:07/01/1991 till:12/01/1998 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Wedren   from:01/01/1996 till:12/01/1998 color:Keys width:7
 bar:Wedren   from:09/17/2007 till:09/02/2009 color:Vocals
 bar:Wedren   from:09/17/2007 till:09/02/2009 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Wedren   from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Vocals
 bar:Wedren   from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Guitar width:3
 bar:Wedren   from:03/15/2025 till:end color:Vocals

 bar:Matthews  from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1992 color:Guitar
 bar:Matthews  from:09/02/2009 till:09/02/2009 color:Guitar 
 bar:Matthews  from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Guitar 
 bar:Larson    from:01/05/1992 till:12/01/1998 color:Guitar
 bar:Larson    from:01/01/1996 till:12/01/1998 color:Keys width:3
 bar:Larson    from:09/17/2007 till:11/02/2008 color:Guitar
 bar:Larson    from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Guitar
 bar:Larson    from:03/15/2025 till:end color:Guitar
 bar:Watrous   from:09/17/2007 till:09/02/2009 color:Guitar
 bar:Walsh     from:03/15/2025 till:end color:Guitar

 bar:Hill      from:01/01/1986 till:12/01/1998 color:Bass
 bar:Hill      from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Bass
 bar:Krakow    from:09/17/2007 till:09/02/2009 color:Bass
 bar:Bischoff  from:03/15/2025 till:end color:Bass

 bar:Russell   from:01/01/1986 till:06/28/1992 color:Drums
 bar:Russell   from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Drums
 bar:Wade      from:07/01/1992 till:06/01/1996 color:Drums
 bar:Wade      from:10/25/2008 till:11/02/2008 color:Drums
 bar:Wade      from:09/14/2013 till:09/14/2013 color:Drums
 bar:Wade      from:03/15/2025 till:end color:Drums
 bar:March     from:06/05/1996 till:12/01/1998 color:Drums
 bar:March     from:09/17/2007 till:10/11/2008 color:Drums
 bar:March     from:09/02/2009 till:09/02/2009 color:Drums

</timeline>

Discography

Studio Albums

• Curses, Spells, Voodoo, Mooses (1988, Sammich Records)
• Ten Spot (1990, Dischord Records)
• Funeral at the Movies (1991, Dischord Records)
• Get Your Goat (1992, Dischord Records)
• Pony Express Record (1994, Epic)
• 50,000 B.C. (1997, Epic)

Soundtrack Albums

• Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack High Art (1998, Velvel)
• Music from the Motion Picture First Love, Last Rites (1998, Epic/Sony Music Soundtrax)
• Music from the Original Motion Picture Velvet Goldmine (1998, London Records/Inner-State Recordings)

Live Albums

• Your Choice Live Series (1992, Your Choice Records)
• Live from Home (2009, Team Love)

Compilations

• Funeral at the Movies & Ten Spot (1991, Dischord Records)
• 1987 (100,019 Men Go Wow Wow Wow) (2024, L.G. Records)

Singles and EPs

• It Was Arson (1988, Sammich Records)
• Medusa Seven (1989, Hoss 45 Recordings)
• Catch of the Day (1990, Big Dragg/Union Hall) split w/ Unrest
• Hit Liquor / No Room 9, Kentucky (1992, Dischord)
• Inside Dave's Garage: Volume Four (1994, Radiopaque Recordings) split w/ Shonen Knife
• Hit Liquor (1994, Epic/Big Cat)
• Shudder to Think (1994, Epic) promo
• X-French Tee Shirt / Shake Your Halo Down (1994, Sub Pop)
• X-French Tee Shirt / In Circles (Edit) (1994, Sub Pop) promo split w/ Sunny Day Real Estate
• X-French Tee Shirt (1995, Big Cat Records)
• So Into You (1995, Epic) promo
• Red House (1997, Epic) promo