Craig Benjamin Wedren (born August 15, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and composer, who began his career fronting

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 bee ...

band

Shudder to Think Shudder to Think was an American alternative rock band. 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 ...

. Following the disbandment of Shudder to Think, Wedren pursued a career as a television and film music composer, as well as releasing solo material.

Career

Wedren began his career as the singer and primary songwriter for Washington, DC-based

, a band that started out in the hardcore music scene, only to challenge the aesthetics and limitations of this then-emerging musical genre. After breaking indie music tradition by signing with Epic Records (Sony Music), Shudder to Think released three major label albums including their opus ''

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 gr ...

''. Shudder to Think toured widely with bands like

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 Ar ...

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

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, ...

, and their videos were featured in regular rotation on MTV. At the peak of their career, a battle with

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 ...

grounded Wedren and the band, but following successful treatments Shudder to Think returned with a new goal in mind – to create music for film. With Shudder to Think, Wedren scored the independent films ''First Love Last Rites'', and ''High Art'', and contributed music to 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 ...

''. Shortly after making the transition to film work, the band dissolved their partnership, and Wedren continued his dual career as both film composer and solo artist. As a composer, Wedren has scored a host of popular feature films including '' Wanderlust'', ''

Role Models ''Role Models'' is a 2008 American comedy film directed by David Wain, who co-wrote it with Timothy Dowling, Paul Rudd and Ken Marino. The film follows two energy drink salesmen who are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punis ...

'', ''

School of Rock ''School of Rock'' (titled onscreen as ''The School of Rock'') is a 2003 comedy film directed by Richard Linklater, produced by Scott Rudin, and written by Mike White. The film stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman. ...

'', ''

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, Pa ...

'', '' By the People: The Election of Barack Obama'', ''

Laurel Canyon Laurel Canyon is a mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills region of the Santa Monica Mountains, within the Hollywood Hills West district of Los Angeles, California. The main thoroughfare of Laurel Canyon Boulevard connects the neighb ...

'', '' Reno 911!: Miami'', '' Roger Dodger'', ''

The Baxter ''The Baxter'' is a 2005 American film written by, directed by and starring comedian Michael Showalter. A "Baxter", as defined by the film, is the nice, dull guy in a romantic comedy who is dumped at the end of the story for the protagonist. ...

'', and ''Boxers and Ballerinas''. Wedren has also written and performed music for the television shows '' Hung'', ''

United States of Tara ''United States of Tara'' is an American television comedy-drama created by Diablo Cody, which aired on Showtime from 2009 to 2011. The series follows the life of Tara ( Toni Collette), a suburban artist and mother coping with dissociative ident ...

'', ''

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, Robe ...

'', ''

Stella Stella or STELLA may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media Comedy *Stella (comedy group), a comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain Characters *Stella (given name), including a list of characters with th ...

'', ''

The State A state is a centralized political organization that imposes and enforces rules over a population within a territory. There is no undisputed definition of a state. One widely used definition comes from the German sociologist Max Weber: a "stat ...

'', ''

The Whitest Kids U' Know ''The Whitest Kids U' Know'' (''WKUK'') is an American sketch comedy show starring a comedy troupe of the same name. The group consisted of Trevor Moore, Zach Cregger, Sam Brown, Timmy Williams and Darren Trumeter, though other actors occasio ...

'', ''

Dawson's Creek ''Dawson's Creek'' is an American teen drama television series about the lives of a close-knit group of friends in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, beginning in high school and continuing into college that ran from 1998 to 2003. ...

'', '' Bones'' and '' Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23''. In 2004 Wedren released a recording by his band BABY, which was in an electronic dance vein, but distinguished by glam and pop sensibilities. While continuing to grow creatively and commercially as a composer, Wedren has also developed a career as a solo artist. In 2005 he released his first solo album ''

Lapland Lapland may refer to: Places *Lapland or Sápmi, an ethno-cultural region stretching over northern Fennoscandia (parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia) **Lapland (Finland) (''Lappi''/''Lappland''), a Finnish region *** Lapland (former pr ...

'' on the Team Love label, after which he toured supporting

Foo Fighters Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Foo Fighters was initially formed as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl. Following the success of the Foo Fighters (album), epony ...

, and Greg Dulli of

Afghan Whigs The Afghan Whigs are an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio. They were active from 1986 to 2001 and have since reformed as a band. The group – with core members Greg Dulli (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick McCollum (lead guitar), and John Cur ...

. In September 2011, Wedren released ''Wand''. To accompany the release of ''Wand'', Wedren toured the United States with

Chris Cornell Christopher John Cornell (né Boyle; July 20, 1964 – May 18, 2017) was an American singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and primary lyricist and songwriter for the rock bands Soundgarden and Audioslave. ...

, and he worked with director Tim Nackashi to create a series of 360-degree interactive videos. In 2012, Wedren re-released recordings by his band BABY. The release included previously unreleased demos, and mixes, as well as a mixed tape which includes covers, and other unreleased material. Wedren has also contributed vocals to the musical act Tweaker with Chris Vrenna, formerly of

Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the ban ...

The 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 de ...

's self-titled album, the musical act Cex, The Dead Science's album ''Villainaire'' and ''Someone To Run Away From'' with Pocket, Jherek Bischoff, and a

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...

cover with St. Vincent on Fleetwood Mac Tribute record ''Just Tell Me That You Want Me.'' Wedren wrote the theme for and was a regular extra on MTV's ''The State'' and was close friends with many members of the show. Wedren also played a part in 2009's ''

I Love You, Man ''I Love You, Man'' is a 2009 American bromantic comedy film written and directed by John Hamburg, based on a script by Larry Levin. The film stars Paul Rudd as a friendless man looking for a best man for his upcoming wedding. However, his ...

'' as a member of the wedding band, as well a role in David Wain's 2012 film ''Wanderlust''. Wedren also wrote and performed the title track for the movie ''Balls of Fury''. Additionally, he wrote the song "Bondage" for the movie soundtrack. In 2021, Wedren and

Anna Waronker Anna Jeanette Waronker (born July 10, 1972) is a singer/songwriter, composer, and producer best known as the frontwoman of That Dog. She is the daughter of producer Lenny Waronker and actress and musician Donna Loren, the sister of session drumme ...

collaborated on the soundtrack to

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global ...

's ''

Yellowjackets A yellowjacket is a black-and-yellow vespid wasp. Yellowjacket(s) or Yellow Jacket(s) may also refer to: Places * Yellow Jacket, Colorado, an unincorporated town * Yellow Jacket, Florida, an unincorporated area in Dixie County, Florida Arts, e ...

''. The original theme song ''No Return'', for the opening credits, was composed by the duo, alongside the score for the show. They also collaborated on the soundtrack for

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...

's '' Shrill'' in 2019.

Personal life

Wedren was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1995. He successfully fought the disease and, after several years of treatments, remains in remission. He has been married to Meggan Lennon since 2006 and they share a son.

Discography

*''

'' (2005 ·

Team Love Records 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, ...

) *'' The Spanish Amnesian'' (2009) *''

WAND A wand is a thin, light-weight rod that is held with one hand, and is traditionally made of wood, but may also be made of other materials, such as metal or plastic. Long versions of wands are often styled in forms of staves or sceptres, which ...

'' (2011) *'' Adult Desire'' (2017)

References

External links

Craig Wedren official websiteTeam Love Records
*
''Spin'' interview
* https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/03/singer-craig-wedrens-polaroids-are-proto-instagrams-of-the-indie-90s * https://variety.com/2022/music/news/yellowjackets-theme-song-composers-craig-wedren-anna-waronker-1235155037/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Wedren, Craig 1969 births Living people Shudder to Think members Team Love Records artists The Field School alumni American rock guitarists American male guitarists American rock songwriters American rock singers Alternative rock singers Alternative rock guitarists American indie rock musicians American punk rock guitarists American punk rock singers American film score composers American male film score composers American alternative rock musicians American television composers Guitarists from Washington, D.C. 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male musicians American male singer-songwriters Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C.