Adam Wade

Shudder to Think was an American alternative rock band.

In 1984, bassist Stuart Hill formed the hardcore punk band Stuge, recruiting drummer Mike Russell, alongside guitarist Sam Fleming and vocalist Bobby Jones.

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.

In 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.

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 the Smashing Pumpkins; with their May 7, 1992 show in Albig, Germany being released by Tobby Holzinger as Your Choice Live Series Vol.21.

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 and June 28, 1992 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.

The album had sold 30,000 copies in the United States by the end of October 1994, and by February 1997 had sold 60,000 copies.

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.

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

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.

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.

Deftones 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 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.

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.

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.

Jeff Buckley also listed Shudder to Think as a favorite band of his.

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.

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.

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

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.