Editing Shudder to Think (section)

==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 music|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>{{cite web|url=https://headmedicine.blogspot.com/2015/01/hold-back-road-that-goes-story-of.html |title=Hold Back the Road That Goes... The Story of Shudder to Think - Part Two |access-date=January 18, 2024 |date=8 January 2015}}</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 Records|Your Choice Live Series Vol.21]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/your-choice-live-series-mw0000118925 |title=Shudder to Think : Your Choice Live Series |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=July 9, 2015}}</ref>

[[Swiz]] ex-bassist [[Nathan Larson (musician)|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>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZRQMLVh2Rc | title=Shudder to Think LIVE Speak & Lies About the Sky 1-1-92 9:30 | website=[[YouTube]] | date=April 4, 2007 }}</ref> and June 28, 1992,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TowldEnuGao | title=Shudder to Think LIVE 'Red House' | website=[[YouTube]] | date=October 14, 2006 }}</ref> respectively, as announced by Wedren to the crowd during those concerts.

The band subsequently signed to [[Epic Records|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>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1995/RR-1995-06-09.pdf|title=Radio and Records|date=1995-06-09|website=Americanradiohistory.com|access-date=27 March 2022}}</ref> The album had sold 30,000 copies in the United States by the end of October 1994,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jenkins |first=Mark |date=1994-10-30 |title=THINKING BIG |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/style/1994/10/30/thinking-big/b0bf1cc9-d356-4089-964e-1368ee31fa24/ |access-date=2023-04-11 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> and by February 1997 had sold 60,000 copies.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Foege |first=Alec |date=1997-02-06 |title=Michael Goldstone: The Fan |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/michael-goldstone-the-fan-241298/ |access-date=2023-04-11 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</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 (musician)|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>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1mwZwALfv8 | title=Shudder to Think - (TLA) Philadelphia,Pa 3.19.97 | website=[[YouTube]] | date=November 16, 2015 }}</ref> The album was released to mixed reviews and was a commercial flop.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/shudder-settle-the-score-83680/|title=Shudder Settle the Score|first1=Heidi|last1=Sherman|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=July 30, 1998}}</ref> It was after this that the band pivoted to writing soundtracks for films, composing the soundtracks to ''[[First Love, Last Rites (film)|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 [[The Verve Pipe (album)|eponymous album]].

Both Larson and Wedren have gone on to create highly regarded music for films. [[David Wain]], founder of comedy troupe [[The State (1993 TV series)|''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>{{cite news|url=http://www.spin.com/community/blogs/peter_gaston/2007/09/070918_shudder/| title=Shudder to Think Reunite in NYC, Sort Of | publisher=Spin Magazine | date= September 18, 2007}}</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>{{cite news|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/shudder-to-thin-8/| title=Shudder to Think (sort of), Pattern is Movement & Blame the Patient @ Bowery Ballroom in NYC - pics & setlist | publisher=Brooklyn Vegan | date= September 3, 2009}}</ref> This show also featured founding guitarist Chris Matthews, who played during the show's encore.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWng9uRCROs&ab_channel=PattiVill | title=Shudder to Think - Red House 9/2/09 | website=[[YouTube]] | date=September 3, 2009 }}</ref>

Shudder to Think reunited again in 2013 for the 20th anniversary of the [[Black Cat (Washington, D.C. nightclub)|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>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Abby |date=March 16, 2025 |title=Shudder To Think Reunite For Surprise First Shows In 12 Years: Watch |url=https://www.stereogum.com/2300591/watch-shudder-to-think-reunite-for-surprise-first-shows-in-12-years/news/ |access-date=March 16, 2025 |website=[[Stereogum]]}}</ref>