Influential Washington D.C. post-hardcore innovators Shudder To Think have re-emerged with their first new material in close to three decades, unleashing the new tracks Thirst Walk and Playback as they resume their long-awaited reunion tour across the United States.
The return marks a major moment for one of the most adventurous bands to rise from the American alternative scene of the late 80s and 90s. Shudder To Think last released new music in the late 90s before pivoting into film and television scoring, transforming frontman Craig Wedren and guitarist Nathan Larson into acclaimed composers. Their music has since appeared across influential productions including Yellowjackets, Wet Hot American Summer, Our Idiot Brother and High Fidelity, cementing the band’s legacy well beyond the rock world.
Now, after reigniting the stage with sold-out East Coast shows and surprise Los Angeles appearances earlier this year, Shudder To Think have captured that spark on record again. Thirst Walk and Playback draw from the band’s signature experimentation, merging the off-kilter rhythms, shapeshifting melodies and theatrical vocals that originally placed them far outside the grunge-dominated rock landscape of the mid-90s.
Wedren says the band’s return to recording was intentionally raw and instinctive. “The new songs are the first of a trove of new songs we’re working on together, all of which feel very much like Shudder To Think,” he explains, noting the band kept the process organic at his backyard studio Pink Ape Studios in Los Angeles. Remote overdubs allowed the reunited lineup to build the songs piece-by-piece, just as they once challenged conventions inside Washington D.C.’s underground network.
Shudder To Think’s comeback coincides with renewed interest in their pivotal 1994 album Pony Express Record, released during their period with Epic Records after a run of boundary-pushing titles on Dischord. The record, fuelled by the single X-French Tee Shirt, became a cult touchstone for musicians drawn to its fearless angular arrangements and art-pop sensibilities. It followed formative releases such as Ten-Spot (1990), Funeral At The Movies (1991) and Get Your Goat (1992), each pushing further beyond the hardcore roots first developed when the band formed in 1986.
Following 1997’s 50,000 B.C., the members took separate creative paths, but the band’s influence only grew. Everyone from Pearl Jam to Incubus to Deftones has paid tribute to Shudder To Think, and they remain a fixture cited by musicians seeking to break rock conventions rather than follow them.
Their creative chemistry has proven equally durable. The current lineup features Craig Wedren (vocals), Nathan Larson (guitar) and Adam Wade (drums) from the Pony Express Record era, joined by guitarist Clint Walsh and bassist Jherek Bischoff. This configuration has reignited the band’s unpredictable energy, bringing fans both nostalgic and newly curious into packed venues once again.
With Thirst Walk now pressed as a 7” vinyl through Dischord Records and streaming services carrying both tracks, Shudder To Think have resumed their 2025 tour, which continues across the United States West Coast this month.
Shudder To Think Tour Dates
7 November – Star Theater, Portland, OR
8 November – Barboza, Seattle, WA
10 November – Brick & Mortar Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
11 November – Lodge Room Highland Park, Los Angeles, CA (sold out)
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