Former Shudder To Think guitarist Chris Matthews returns with a three-track set on Magic Door Records.
Quiz Show premieres the XONO EP on Retrofuturista ahead of its release through Magic Door Records, available as of September 28.
Artist: Quiz Show
Release Date: 2026-09-27
Genres: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock
Label: Magic Door Records
Description: Quiz Show releases the XONO EP September 28 on Magic Door Records, featuring Chris Matthews and a Guided By Voices cover.
The Montclair, New Jersey-based group features guitarist Chris Matthews, a founding member of Washington, D.C. hardcore act Shudder To Think, alongside bassist Jesse Krakow and drummer Joe Billy III. Chris Matthews revived his songwriting after a 25-year break following a run-in with former Shudder To Think bandmate Kevin March (Guided By Voices, The Dambuilders). Kevin March and Frank Gibbons originally launched the band with Chris Matthews before Joe Billy III took over the drum throne.
The three-song set was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording Studio, with cover photography by Mike Roller.
The title track addresses romantic breakdowns and collapsed expectations. Next up is a cover of Guided By Voices’ “Haircut Sphinx,” written by Robert Pollard for the 2020 album Mirrored Aztec. The trio slowed the original tempo, stretched the ending, and added organ parts played by Jesse Krakow. Closing the EP is an acoustic reinterpretation of “Pom Pom Boy”, originally written by Chris Matthews and Kevin March for the band’s 2023 debut, which features Joe Billy III stepping away from the kit to handle acoustic guitar. The track explodes with raw kinetic energy and thrilling songcraft.
The release follows the group’s 2023 self-titled debut album and their 2024 Flotsam EP, engineered by Ray Ketchem and Brian Robbins. Moving forward as a duo, Chris Matthews and Joe Billy III play Garwood’s Crossroads on October 2 alongside The Van Pelt.
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