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.

[2] 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.

[3] Swiz ex-bassist Nathan Larson and ex-Jawbox drummer Adam Wade replaced Matthews and Russell in 1992 on guitar and drums respectively.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"[21] Kulash has specifically noted the band's impact on his music:"Shudder To Think: They taught me a certain sense of intentional rock.

"[22]The band, which has been classified as post-hardcore,[23] embraced "pop influences and a skewed sense of songwriting"[24] while coming from a hardcore punk background "courtesy of their affiliation" with Dischord.

[24] 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.