Craig Wedren, the singer/frontman of acclaimed art-rock bands, Baby & Shudder To Think, recently released his debut solo album on Team Love Records. The record, entitled Lapland, features a collection of songs that would have appeared on the next Shudder To Think album (if they were still active), rare songs Craig has composed for film, & other new material. 'I think it feels like a slightly mellower, clearer, & more organic/oceanic Shudder To Think,' says Wedren. 'I'm so relieved to be making this record. It's like I've been holding my breath for the last six years & can finally let it out again.' Lapland is a guitar & vocal driven return to more personal songwriting. Recent
reviews of Lapland have offered consistently glowing takes on Wedren's current solo endeavors.
'Do You Harm and Born Curious are two of Lapland's strongest. They're crystalline shards of perfect adult pop, catchy, & accessible but more interesting musically than a thousand Rob Thomas songs.' -All Music Guide (4 1/2 out of 5 stars)
“He has since dabbed in soundtrack composition to impressive results (Laurel Canyon, School of Rock) & now with Lapland, Wedren proves himself to be a songwriter of astonishing complexity.' -Filter
'Most bands would trade their favorite amps to have a fifth of the melodic strength of Craig Wedren.' -Popmatters
In contrast to Lapland, Craig Wedren has also enjoyed the success of his New York-based disco-pop outfit, Baby. The Village Voice hails that every song makes you want to shake your ass, Time Out New York calls their debut a glamorous pop record, & Blender has said, 'Wedren's voice sounds more at home here than it ever has before.'
Always in need of an outlet for his creative ideas, Wedren has also contributed music to a number of films & TV shows in the past several years. His efforts began with the score for High Art, songs for Velvet Goldmine & the soundtrack for First Love, Last Rites. He has also scored Roger Dodger, Laurel Canyon, Boxers & Ballerinas, & contributed songs to Wet Hot American Summer, School of Rock,& Secret Lives of Dentists. More recently, Craig has written the theme for Reno 911 & is currently scoring the show Stella, both for Comedy Central.
Lapland marks a return for Wedren to the fundamental task of writing & recording an album solely for his own expressive purposes. 'Team Love is a real home for my music, versus some relative PO box of a major label, with a real artist at the helm, versus some bean counter who's worried about losing his or her job,' says Wedren. 'In this particularly grisly time in the music industry, working with this label is a blessing, an honor & again a total relief.'