Shudder to Think

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.{{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}}

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.{{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}}

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,{{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 }} and June 28, 1992,{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TowldEnuGao | title=Shudder to Think LIVE 'Red House' | website=YouTube | date=October 14, 2006 }} 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.{{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}} The album had sold 30,000 copies in the United States by the end of October 1994,{{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}} and by February 1997 had sold 60,000 copies.{{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}}

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.{{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 }} The album was released to mixed reviews and was a commercial flop.{{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}} 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.

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.{{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}} 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.{{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}} This show also featured founding guitarist Chris Matthews, who played during the show's encore.{{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 }}

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".{{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}}

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.{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui_9c1ztW4A | title=Incubus - Nowhere Fast / X-French Tee Shirt (Lollapalooza) | website=YouTube | date=July 2, 2012 }} Jeff Buckley also listed Shudder to Think as a favorite band of his.{{cite web |url=http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/chat/index.html |title=Kingdom For A Kiss - Jeff Buckley ...in Words: The Sony Chat, Fall '95 |website=Jeffbuckley.com |access-date=July 9, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224055349/http://www.jeffbuckley.com/rfuller/buckley/words/chat/index.html |archive-date=February 24, 2012 }} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.theporch.org/tour/setlist.asp?ID=7 |title=Pearl Jam Setlists |website=Theporch.org |access-date=July 9, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041713/http://www.theporch.org/tour/setlist.asp?ID=7 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 }} Deftones have cited Shudder to Think as an influence{{Cite web|url=http://admin.spin.com/articles/listen-five-bands-inspired-shudder-think|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140825083110/http://admin.spin.com/articles/listen-five-bands-inspired-shudder-think|url-status=dead|title=Listen: Five Bands Inspired by Shudder to Think |website=Spin.com|archive-date=August 25, 2014}} and have even covered bits of "X-French Tee Shirt"{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkd76z-Laj4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/Wkd76z-Laj4 |archive-date=December 21, 2021 |url-status=live|title=[PRO AUDIO] Deftones - Around the Fur live @ Glastonbury Festival - June 27th, 1998 |via=YouTube|access-date=July 9, 2015}}{{cbignore}} 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.{{Cite web |last=Estey |first=Chris |date=October 15, 2009 |title=Another Sunny Day |url=https://www.thestranger.com/music/2009/10/15/2473732/another-sunny-day |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105041656/https://www.thestranger.com/music/2009/10/15/2473732/another-sunny-day |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |access-date=November 5, 2023 |website=The Stranger}}{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2013 |title=BRAID - Reggies Chicago |url=https://www.reggieslive.com/band/braid/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518150928/https://www.reggieslive.com/band/braid/ |archive-date=May 18, 2023 |access-date=November 4, 2023 |website=Reggies Chicago}}

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."{{Cite web |last=Macomber |first=Shawn |date=March 25, 2015 |title=Q&A: OK Go On 10 Years Of Making Viral Videos |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1788890/qa-ok-go-on-10-years-of-making-viral-videos/interviews/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001043847/https://www.stereogum.com/1788890/qa-ok-go-on-10-years-of-making-viral-videos/interviews/ |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |access-date=June 18, 2024 |website=Stereogum}} 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."{{Cite web |date=January 11, 2010 |title=Chalkboard Confessional: Damian Kulash of OK Go |url=https://www.altpress.com/chalkboard_okgo/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126104142/https://www.altpress.com/chalkboard_okgo/ |archive-date=November 26, 2023 |access-date=September 22, 2024 |website=Alternative Press}}

The band, which has been classified as post-hardcore,{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/explore/style/post-hardcore-d12962/artists |title=Explore: Post-Hardcore (Top Artists) |work=Allmusic |access-date=March 18, 2011 |archive-date=December 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101209234315/http://allmusic.com/explore/style/post-hardcore-d12962/artists |url-status=dead }} embraced "pop influences and a skewed sense of songwriting"{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/shudder-to-think-p14249/biography |title=Shudder to Think - Biography |author=Bush, John |website=AllMusic |access-date=April 5, 2011}} while coming from a hardcore punk background "courtesy of their affiliation" with Dischord. 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."{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/curse-spells-voodoo-mooses-r505708/review |title=Curse, Spells, Voodoo, Moses - Shudder to Think - Review |author=Spano, Charles |website=AllMusic |access-date=March 20, 2011}}

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."Prato, Greg (2018). Long Live Queen: Rock Royalty Discuss Freddie, Brian, John & Roger. p. 154

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."{{cite web |url=http://www.starla.org/articles/atnj.htm |title=Smashing Pumpkin James Iha Speaks His Mind, December 1995 |author=Michael Goldberg|website=Starla.org|access-date=2020-02-05}}

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)

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• 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)

• 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)

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

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

• 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

{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shudder To Think}}

Category:American post-hardcore musical groups

Category:Dischord Records artists

Category:Alternative rock groups from Washington, D.C.

Category:Indie rock musical groups from Washington, D.C.

Category:Epic Records artists

Category:Musical groups established in 1986

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1998

Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2007

Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2009

Category:1986 establishments in Washington, D.C.