Shudder to Think was an American

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...

band. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

-based label

Dischord Records Dischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in punk rock. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release ''Minor Disturbance'' by their band The Teen Idle ...

, and two on

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. Their early work was largely influenced by

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has been ...

although they gradually drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describe ...

and

glam metal Glam metal (also known as hair metal or pop metal) is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam r ...

History

The band's first lineup was

Craig Wedren Craig Benjamin Wedren (born August 15, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and composer, who began his career fronting post-hardcore band Shudder to Think. Following the disbandment of Shudder to Think, Wedren pursued a career as a ...

(vocals and guitar), Chris Matthews (guitar), Stuart Hill (bass) and Mike Russell (drums). 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 Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They are noted for their style-tr ...

and the

Smashing Pumpkins Smash may refer to: People * Smash (wrestler) (born 1959), professional wrestler * Moondog Rex, another professional wrestler who briefly wrestled as the original Smash, before being replaced by the above. * DJ Smash, DJ and music producer Art, ...

; with their May 7, 1992 show in

Albig Albig is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in Rhenish Hesse in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality l ...

, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.21. Swiz ex-bassist

Nathan Larson Nathan Larson may refer to: *Nathan Larson (musician), American musician * Nathan Larson (criminal), American white supremacist and convicted felon See also *Nate Larson Nate Larson (born March 16, 1978) is a Baltimore-based artist and photograph ...

(guitars) and ex-

Jawbox Jawbox is an American alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in 1989 by J. Robbins (vocals/guitar), Kim Coletta (bass), and Adam Wade (drums). After the trio released the album ''Grippe'' in 1991, Bill Barbot (guitar/vocals) join ...

drummer Adam Wade replaced Matthews and Russell in 1992. Matthews and Russell last performed live with the band on January 1, 1992 and June 28, 1992 respectively, as announced by Wedren to the crowd during those concerts. The band subsequently signed to

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film with heroic elements Epic or EPIC may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and medi ...

, with whom ''

Pony Express Record ''Pony Express Record'' is the fifth studio album by American post-hardcore band Shudder to Think, released in 1994 by Epic Records. Although signing to a major label from the independent Dischord Records shocked and alienated some fans of the ...

'' was released in 1994. The album's angular, mathematical

earned it a devoted

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

- especially after the video for the track "X-French Tee Shirt" became a buzz clip on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

and was regularly aired on the channel, as well as an article in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''. The track also peaked at #36 on the

Radio and Records ''Radio & Records'' (''R&R'') was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It started as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006 and became a relaunched sister ...

Alternative chart. Over the next few years, Wedren successfully battled

Hodgkin's Disease Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition wa ...

, 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 The Dambuilders was an indie rock band that began in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, in 1989 and later relocated to Boston. They released seven LPs (six studio albums & one compilation) and a number of EPs before breaking up in 1998. Members have gone o ...

. They released another album, '' 50,000 B.C.'', in 1997. The band also worked on music for soundtracks including ''

First Love, Last Rites ''First Love, Last Rites'' is a collection of short stories by Ian McEwan. It was first published in 1975 by Jonathan Cape, with cover designed by Bill Botten, and re-issued in 1997 by Vintage. Context The collection is McEwan's first pu ...

'' and ''

High Art High culture is a subculture that emphasizes and encompasses the cultural objects of aesthetic value, which a society collectively esteem as exemplary art, and the intellectual works of philosophy, history, art, and literature that a society con ...

''. In 1998, the band wrote and performed two songs for the film ''

Velvet Goldmine ''Velvet Goldmine'' is a 1998 musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons. It is set in Britain during the glam rock days of the early 1970s, and tells the story of fictional bisexual pop star B ...

''. 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 ''Down to You'' is a 2000 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Kris Isacsson, starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Julia Stiles as young lovers who meet in college and go through the ups and downs of a relationship. Selma Blair, Shaw ...

'' soundtrack with "Didn't Mean to Do You Harm", and contributed backing vocals to

Verve Pipe The Verve Pipe is an American rock band from Michigan. It was formed in 1992 in East Lansing by Brian Vander Ark, Brian Stout and Donny Brown. History In November 1992, Brian Vander Ark of the band "Johnny with an Eye" signed a production dea ...

'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! ''Reno 911!'' is an American comedy television series airing on Comedy Central. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically '' Cops'', with comic actors playing the police officers. Thomas Lennon, Rober ...

'' and ''

Wet Hot American Summer ''Wet Hot American Summer'' is a 2001 American teen comedy film directed by David Wain from a screenplay written by Wain and Michael Showalter. The film features an ensemble cast, including Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Molly Shannon, Pau ...

''. Wedren also makes solo music, and released his debut album, ''Lapland'', in 2005. Larson has formed a new band called

Hot One Hot One is a rock band formed in 2005. Its members are guitarist/vocalist Nathan Larson, bassist/vocalist Emm Gryner, drummer Kevin March, and guitarist Jordan Kern. The band is characterized by a glam rock/post-punk sound and overtly political ly ...

Reunions

Wedren, Larson, and March performed a brief set together on September 17, 2007, at The Mercury Lounge in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. The band continued to perform shows throughout 2008 and 2009 with March playing the eastern dates and Wade on the western dates. 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 The Bowery Ballroom is a New York City live-music venue located at 6 Delancey Street in the neighborhood of Bowery in Manhattan. The Bowery Ballroom holds something of a cult status among musicians as well as audiences. ''Rolling Stone'' magazi ...

in New York City. Shudder to Think reunited again in 2013 for the 20th anniversary of the

Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bombay b ...

venue. In addition to a full set by the Pony Express Record lineup of Wedren, Larson, Wade and Hill, earlier members Chris Matthews and Mike Russell performed on the encore.

Influence on other bands

Shudder to Think has been listed as an influence by other bands -

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

went as far as covering part of "X-French Tee Shirt" in their song "Nowhere Fast" during

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

in 2003.

Jeff Buckley Jeffrey Scott Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997), raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by ...

also listed Shudder to Think as a favorite band of his. In 1998

Pearl Jam Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guita ...

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.

Deftones Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five ...

have cited Shudder to Think as an influence and have even covered bits of "X-French Tee Shirt" and "So Into You" at live shows.

Cursive Cursive (also known as script, among other names) is any style of penmanship in which characters are written joined in a flowing manner, generally for the purpose of making writing faster, in contrast to block letters. It varies in functionalit ...

mentions the band in their song "Sink to the Beat" off their EP, ''

Burst and Bloom ''Burst and Bloom'' is an EP by American indie rock band Cursive, released in 2001 on Saddle Creek Records. It is the band's first release with cellist Gretta Cohn. Some lyrics in the song "Sink To The Beat" reference the song-writing process a ...

''.

Musical style

The band, which has been classified as

, embraced "pop influences and a skewed sense of songwriting" while coming from a

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier 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 Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He was the primary co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the rock ...

grooves, a avidBowie and ..

Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera ...

glam bent .. and the theatrics of

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

." In the 2018 book ''Long Live Queen'', when DJ/VJ

Matt Pinfield Matthew Pinfield (born May 28, 1961) is an American television host, disc jockey, and music executive. He first reached national prominence as VJ on MTV. He served two stints as the host of the alternative music program '' 120 Minutes'', from 19 ...

was asked if

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 he middle partwas one note, and he was singing two octaves over that."

In an interview from 1995,

James Iha (born March 26, 1968) is an American rock musician. He is best known as a guitarist and co-founder of the alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. He was a member until the initial breakup in 2000. Among his musical projects of recent years ...

The Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also referred to as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamb ...

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."

Band members

- lead vocals & guitar (1986–1998, 2007–2009) *Stuart Hill - bass (1986–1998) *Chris Matthews - guitar (1986–1992) *Mike Russell - drums (1986–1992) *

- guitar (1992–1998, 2007–2008) * Adam Wade - drums (1992–1996, 2008-2013) * Kevin March - drums (1996–1998, 2007–2009) *

Mark Watrous Mark Watrous is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and graphic/video artist from Richland, Washington. He is best known as a former member of the band Gosling (also known as Loudermilk). Watrous is currently a member of Earl Burrows and ...

- guitar (2007–2009) *

Jesse Krakow Jesse Krakow (born April 12, 1977) is an American musician, bassist, producer, and composer based in New York City. Career Krakow has toured with Shudder to Think, playing bass on their 2009 live album ''Live From Home''. He collaborated with ...

- bass (2007–2009)

Discography

Albums

*''Curses, Spells, Voodoo, Mooses'' (1988, Sammich Records) *''Ten Spot'' (1990,

) *''Funeral at the Movies'' (1991,

) *''Get Your Goat'' (1992,

) *''

'' (1994,

) *'' 50,000 B.C.'' (1997,

)

Live albums

*''Your Choice Live Series'' (1992,

Your Choice Records Your Choice Records was a German independent record label that was founded in 1988 by producer Tobby Holzinger. The label specialized in independent punk music, including live releases of German and other international acts.http://www.de.wikiped ...

) *''Live from Home'' (2009,

Team Love Team Love is an independent record label based in New Paltz, New York, founded by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel in 2003. It has released albums by several other recording artists. Team Love also released the documentary film by Roy Germano, Th ...

)

Demo EP

*''Shudder To Think'' (1994, Epic ESK5691)

Singles

* ''It Was Arson'' (1988, Sammich) * ''Medusa Seven'' (1989, Hoss) * ''Catch of the Day'' (1990, Trout, split w/ Unrest) * ''Hit Liquor / No Room 9, Kentucky 7"'' (1992, Dischord) * ''Hit Liquor'' (1994, Epic) * ''X - French T-Shirt / Shake Your Halo Down 7"'' (1994,

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are often ...

) * ''S/T (Live)'' (1994, Epic) * ''So Into You'' (1995, Epic) * ''Red House'' (1997, Epic)

Soundtracks

* ''

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

(et al.) 1998 * ''

(et al.) 1999 * ''

1998

Compilations

*''F-R-5 (A compilation album)''* - 1987 Fetal Records #005 *'' State of the Union: D.C. Benefit Compilation''* - 1989 Dischord Records *''Funeral at the Movies/Ten Spot'' *''O Come All Ye Faithful (Rock for Choice) - 1996''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shudder To Think American post-hardcore musical groups Dischord Records artists Alternative rock groups from Washington, D.C. Indie rock musical groups from Washington, D.C. Epic Records artists Musical groups established in 1986 Musical groups disestablished in 1998 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Musical groups disestablished in 2009