Craig Wedren first found fame and acclaim as the frontman of the band Shudder To Think. A Washington D.C.-based group which released its first few albums via famed punk label Dischord, Shudder To Think eventually signed with Epic Records and toured alongside the likes of Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and Fugazi. Meanwhile, the music of Shudder To Think ultimately inspired and/or was covered by Incubus, Deftones, Cursive and Jeff Buckley.
After Shudder To Think went on its first hiatus in 1998, Wedren found footing as a composer for major film and television projects. Among his credits are “Wet Hot American Summer,” “School Of Rock,” “GLOW,” “Mrs. Fletcher,” “New Amsterdam,” “Shrill,” “Fresh Off The Boat” and “Reno 911.” Interestingly, the first notable television project he had written a theme song for was the MTV sketch-comedy series “The State” – as credited to the aforementioned Shudder To Think – which starred a lot of his friends from his collegiate days at NYU.
Beyond scoring a variety of projects, Wedren has also continued to release music as a singer/songwriter – following several years fronting BABY, he released his first solo album via 2005’s “Lapland” – and even released a photography-oriented book called “My 90s” last year. The Los Angeles-based, Shaker Heights, Ohio-bred musician also occasionally pops up on-screen in movies (e.g. “I Love You Man,” “Wanderlust”) and other people’s recordings (e.g. St. Vincent, The Verve Pipe, Tweaker). He even released a one-off Hanukkah song last year called “Sanctuary.”
Craig Wedren’s newest project is his “Sabbath Sessions” podcast, as launched earlier this year. Each episode is a collection of musical meditations representing his first explorations into ambient choral music. “Sabbath Sessions” was born out of the introspection of Wedren’s longtime mindfulness and wellness practices, embracing everything from Transcendental Meditation to yoga. A survivor of both Hodgkin’s Disease and a recent heart attack, Wedren takes both his health and greater spiritual concerns seriously, as well shown within the “Sabbath Sessions” series.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Craig Wedren by phone on March 26, 2020 in the midst of the current Coronavirus pandemic. We spoke about a mix of topics, including the “Sabbath Sessions,” how he is holding up during said pandemic, future projects and even how the “Jewish summer camp” experience of his childhood would ultimately play a major role within his professional career. Audio from the full interview is below for your listening pleasure, and within seconds you will realize that successful musicians do not get any nicer than Craig Wedren.
