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Gale Musician Profiles:

Relient K

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Christian group

Featuring fast beats and quirky, often humorous lyrics that mix pop culture with spirituality, the pop-punk band Relient K has been compared to Blink 182 and the Foo Fighters. As Kim Shipman wrote in America's Intelligence Wire, "To get an idea of their lyrics, subtract all profanity and references to drugs, sex, and alcohol…. and double the sarcastic wit and references to God and spiritual struggles." The group's album Mmhmm debuted at number 15 on the Billboard Top 100, an almost unheard-of feat for a Christian band.

The band formed in 1997, while singer-guitarist Matt Thiessen, guitarist Matt Hoopes, and bassist Brian Pittman were sophomores in high school in Canton, Ohio. Thiessen was born in Canada, but moved to Ohio when he was six years old. As a child he took piano lessons, but in high school he became interested in rock music and also listened to Christian punk bands. He met guitarist Hoopes, bassist Pittman, and drummer Todd Frescone in their church in Canton. Every Wednesday night they performed three-chord worship songs for their youth group, but they also began writing their own songs. After about a year, Frescone left and was replaced by David Douglas.

They named the band after Hoopes's Chrysler economy car, a Reliant K; they misspelled the name on purpose to distinguish themselves from the car of the same name. They began performing at a coffee shop called Java Land, begging their friends to go to the shows. Since they all went to different schools, they had a wide circle of friends to draw from, and at their second show, 200 kids showed up. Thiessen told Robert Cherry in the Cleveland Plain Dealer that the lack of a music scene in Canton actually helped them: "Our shows became something to do."

Relient K was discovered by Mark Townsend, a member of the Christian band DC Talk, who was also the father of Hoopes's girlfriend (whom he later married). Townsend produced the band's self-titled debut album in 2000, and introduced the band to Gotee, a Christian label co-owned by Townsend's bandmate Toby McKeehan.

Reviewing the band's debut album, Cherry praised the band's "three-chord shout-along songs that somehow balanced smart-aleck, pop-culture-obsessed lyrics with an overtly Christian message." The resulting album was the biggest-selling Christian rock debut of 2000. One song, "Marilyn Manson Ate My Girlfriend," described how a friend of Thiessen's got into trouble and went to a juvenile detention center. During this time, Thiessen told Terry DeBoer in the Grand Rapids Press, his friend started listening to music by artists like Marilyn Manson, known for his anti-religious, antisocial lyrics and attitude. "It's fine to listen to the music," Thiessen said. "But she started getting caught up in the game—the political aspects of those bands. That Christianity is silly, stupid and that God doesn't exist." He also commented that his friend became so interested in Manson's music and message that it was as if "he consumed her mind." The song made it to the top ten on the Christian charts in 2000. In addition to this rather serious song, the band also had a version of the theme song from the television sitcom "Charles in Charge," a show Thiessen watched every day after school. Other songs contain references to actor Michael J. Fox; Seventeen magazine; and Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. These pop-culture references intrigued listeners and may have contributed to the band's quick success and to widening its audience beyond the Christian genre.

Thiessen told DeBoer that the band was surprised at the success of their debut album: "Our jaws are still on the floor with this whole thing. We're just regular ol' kids. That God has been blessing us with this band is, like, unfathomable for us."

Following their debut, the band continued to widen their audience beyond the Christian genre. Their second album was titled The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. Thiessen told DeBoer, "The kind of music we play is becoming a little more popular these days. We're not really a punk band. We're a rock 'n' roll band with a lot of punk influences. Some people say pop punk." This popularity, as well as the group's well-known sense of humor, led to their being selected to record a song for the soundtrack of the 2002 Veggie Tales animated feature Jonah. Thiessen told DeBoer, "I never thought anything I wrote would ever be sung by a cucumber."

With Two Lefts Don't Make a Right … But Three Do, the band spent months on Billboard's Christian Top 20 list. In addition, the album's first single, "Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry," attracted attention from alternative and college radio stations, resulting in air time on MTV2, FUSE, and other video and audio markets. Another popular song, "Forward Motion," rose to near the top of the Christian rock charts. Thiessen told DeBoer, "That song talks about no matter what adversity we face, we're gonna move through it as God enables us to do it."

Of the album, Thiessen told DeBoer, "People seem to like it. Some say it's our best record." He also commented that the band's songs reflected their youth and enthusiasm: "We like to sing about our faith … but we're just a bunch of kids. We don't always have the perfect words."

Also in 2003, the band released a Christmas album, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, with songs with titles like "Santa Claus is Thumbing to Town" and "I Hate Christmas Parties," as well as more serious, traditional favorites.

In 2005 Brian Pittman left the band; singer John Warne and guitarist Jonathan Schneck joined Hoopes, Thiessen, and Douglas, making the band a quintet. Their 2005 release Mmhmm debuted at number 15 on the Billboard album charts, and sold almost 52,000 copies in its first week. However, the band took this in stride. Thiessen told Cherry that when he heard the news, he was "down here in Hicksville and our manager calls me and says, 'Yeah, you're No. 15 on Billboard!' And then I realized I was at my parents' house and had no one to hang out with and nothing to do, so it was like, 'Well, I guess I'll go play some video games.'"

Laura Willcoxson wrote in America's Intelligence Wire that with this album, the band "have completely outdone themselves." She added, "Each track is filled with not only their original pop-punk attitude, but positive Christian-based lyrics as well." In addition, she praised the band's lyrics about common problems of young people, from feeling misunderstood to the misery of bad relationships and other disappointments. Willcoxon wrote, "Each finely-tuned track brings a sense of warmth, love and like-minded understanding to the ears of the listener." In America's Intelligence Wire, Marcus Toussaint commented, "This is by far the most mature musical effort the band has released to date. The overall sound quality easily overshadows the last three albums; the screaming guitars have never sounded so crisp and clean." Unlike the band's previous albums, this one has no overtly hilarious lyrics, and leans more heavily on introspective lyrics.

Mmhmm was co-released on Capitol as well as on Gotee, a move intended to take it to a wider audience. On whether or not Relient K is still a Christian band, Thiessen told Cherry, "Certain people are going to take things certain ways, no matter what you do. If you play our album for someone who's not a Christian, they're going to take what they take from it; and if you play it for some kid who only listens to Christian music, they're going to take other things from it. Who am I to complain about what you take from the music?" He told DeBoer that a fan once approached him after a show and said, "'You're my favorite band.' And he was Jewish. So it had nothing to do with [religious orientation]." On the band's official website, Thiessen commented that the band has "found it the hardest thing in the world to say 'Jesus' in a song and not be cheesy, so we definitely have our own way of singing about spirituality. But in the end that's who we are and what we believe in. We hope between that and the music, it connects with someone out there."

Selected discography
Relient K, self-released, 2000.
The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, Gotee, 2001.
Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand, Gotee, 2003.
Two Lefts Don't Make A Right … But Three Do, Gotee, 2003.
Mmhmm, Gotee/Capitol, 2005.

Sources
Periodicals
America's Intelligence Wire, February 3, 2005, p. NA; April 1, 2003, p. NA.
Buffalo News, December 3, 2003, p. N3.
Grand Rapids Press, September 29, 2000, p. 10; September 19, 2002, p. 18; October 16, 2003, p. 21; October 20, 2003, p. B5.
Orange County Register, February 22, 2005, p. NA.
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), January 3, 2005, p. D1.

Online
"Relient K and CCM's Salvation," PopMatters, http://www.popmatters.com/music/interviews/relient-k-050208.shtml (February 8, 2005).
Reliant K Official Website, http://www.reliantk.com/ (May 17, 2005).
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:

Relient K

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  • Genres: Rock

Biography

Canton, Ohio's Relient K formed in 1998 and joined the parade of Christian punk-pop artists (MxPx, Ghoti Hook, Slick Shoes, etc.) with their self-titled 2000 debut, mixing catchy melodies and snotty attitude with spiritual concerns. The record was produced by dc Talk guitarist Mark Townsend, and the band was comprised of vocalist/guitarist/pianist Matt Thiessen, guitarist Matthew Hoopes, bassist Brian Pittman, and drummer Stephen Cushman. David Douglas joined up in place of Cushman by the year's end, and Relient K followed up in August 2001 with The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. The album sold 300,000 copies and Relient K's momentum continued to build as they played nearly 200 shows in North America before the year closed out. A third full-length, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right... But Three Do, debuted at number 38 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart upon its release in spring 2003. The band didn't waste any time recording a fourth album; MMHMM, produced by lead singer Thiessen and dc Talk's Townsend and mixed by Tom Lord-Alge, was released in November 2004 by Gotee/Capitol. MMHMM scanned over 51,000 copies sold during its first week, hitting number 15 on the Top 200 and number one for Christian albums. It eventually went gold, Relient K's third consecutive album to do so, and the band's mainstream crossover was in full swing with singles "Be My Escape" and "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" doing very well on modern rock radio and MTV.

Pittman left the group after MMHMM's release (later going on to play with Inhale/Exhale), and John Warne (ex-Ace Troubleshooter) filled in on bass for touring purposes, becoming a permanent member in 2005. Relient K further added Jonathan Schneck as a third guitarist (who also played banjo and bells) that year, bumping them up to quintet status. With Relient K touring constantly in support of MMHMM, Apathetic EP followed in November 2005 as another treat to hold over fans as the guys readied their next album. Five Score & Seven Years Ago (as in their fifth album in seven years), largely produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Less Than Jake), was released in early March 2007. True to form, Relient K set out on a full round of nationwide dates, including spring shows with Mae and Sherwood, before releasing the Christmas-themed album Let It Snow Baby... Let It Reindeer (containing several tracks from the band's previous holiday release, Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand) later that fall. In October, Douglas announced that he would be leaving Relient K to dedicate himself full-time to his side project Gypsy Parade. He was replaced in early 2008 by Ethan Luck, who would accompany the group during its appearances on that year's Warped Tour. In July, the group released the B-side album The Bird and the Bee Sides, which was packaged with The Nashville Tennis EP. The band released its sixth studio album, Forget and Not Slow Down, in 2009. The seven-song covers EP K Is for Karaoke appeared in 2011. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Relient K

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This article is about the rock band. For the car, see Plymouth Reliant.
Relient K

Relient K live in May 2007. Left to right: Jon Schneck, Matt Hoopes, Matt Thiessen, Dave Douglas, John Warne.
Background information
Origin Canton, Ohio, United States
Genres Christian rock, alternative rock, pop punk
Years active 1998–present
Labels Gotee, Capitol, Mono Vs Stereo, Jive, RCA
Associated acts Ace Troubleshooter, Guerilla Rodeo
Website www.relientk.com
Members
Matt Thiessen
Matt Hoopes
John Warne
Jon Schneck
Ethan Luck
Past members
Todd Frascone
Stephen Cushman
Brett Schoneman
Jared Byers
Brian Pittman
Dave Douglas

Relient K (/rɨˈlaɪ.ɨnt ˈkeɪ/) is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio by Matt Thiessen, Brian Pittman, and Matt Hoopes[1] during the band's junior year in high school and their time at Malone University. The band is named after guitarist Hoopes' automobile, a Plymouth Reliant K car, with the spelling intentionally altered to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name.[2]

The group is associated with the Contemporary Christian Music culture, most notably the Christian rock and Christian punk scene. Despite being a Christian band the group has performed alongside secular artists. The band has reached critical success with mainstream pop punk and alternative rock. The band's sound incorporates piano and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Relient K has released six studio albums, seven EPs, two Christmas albums, and one collection of rarities. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards.[3][4][5]

Relient K is best known commercially for their two studio albums which peaked in the top 15 of the US Billboard 200 chart. After signing with Capitol Records, they broke into the mainstream in 2004 with the release of Mmhmm, which debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. In 2007, their fifth album brought the most success for Relient K, Five Score and Seven Years Ago debuted at No. 6 on the US Billboard 200 and sold 60,000 records in its debut week.[6] The band has sold over 2 million records, with three albums being given gold certification by the RIAA. The band is also highly successful throughout the Christian Albums and Contemporary Christian Music charts. Their newest album Is for Karaoke was released on October 4, 2011.

Contents

History

All Work and No Play and Relient K (1998–2000)

After Relient K was founded by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes and Brian Pittman in 1998,[7] Todd Frascone joined for a short time in 1998 as a drummer. However, Frascone left the band after recording the demo All Work and No Play. The demo was recorded by Mark Lee Townsend, the former live guitar player for dc Talk. Townsend had met the band members because his daughter, Danielle, was friends with the band. Danielle eventually married guitarist Matt Hoopes.[8]

All Work and No Play caught the attention of dc Talk's Toby McKeehan (tobyMac), who later signed the band to his label, Gotee Records. With the label Relient K released their debut EP, 2000 A.D.D. in 2000, with Stephen Cushman on drums. Soon after, they released Relient K, their first full-length CD. It was distinctly Christian rock and featured lyrics with a wide range of pop-culture references.[9] Cushman left later that year to join the Christian metal band Narcissus. Brett Schoneman of Christian rock band Philmore filled in temporarily,[10][11][12] followed by Jared Byers, drummer of the Christian rock band Bleach, until Dave Douglas joined in December 2000.[1]

In an interview, Matt Thiessen said that when the band started, he was the only one who sang, but he knew Matt Hoopes could sing as well. Hoopes was reluctant, but Thiessen said he "got it out of him". As a result, Hoopes became the primary back-up vocalist.[13]

The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek (2001–2002)

The band released their second album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, in 2001. Though there were still plenty of pop-culture references on this album,[9] it contained many more softer songs and slightly lighter guitars.[14] They would continue chords through tracks in order to fluidly transition in between songs, a trend that continued on their later albums.[14]

Anatomy landed them in the Christian rock limelight, and Relient K was offered a clothing deal with Abercrombie & Fitch in 2001.[9] Gotee, their label, accepted the offer on Relient K's behalf; Pittman recalls, "The choice was never really given to us. The label made the choice."[15] After significant pressure from conservative Christian organizations such as Focus on the Family, Gotee backed out of the contract.

Relient K was then asked to do a rendition of the popular VeggieTales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the 2002 feature length VeggieTales movie Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. The song was released on three different albums, two in single form. The first version also included their song "Breakdown" being sung by Larry the Cucumber. There was also a promotional version which included the original version of "Breakdown". A cut-down version (missing the bridge) was included on the Christian rock compilation Veggie Rocks!.[citation needed] This song mixes the sounds of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, and their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.[citation needed]

Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (2003)

In 2003, Relient K released Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do. The album had multiple covers of different colors, each depicting a vehicle in some kind of wreck. As pop-culture references became less specific, sound and vocals became far more defined.[16] Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do (often called Two Lefts by fans) combined the soft, meaningful songs of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and threw in fast-paced songs with deep lyrics.[16] It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Rock Gospel Album"[3] and won the Dove Award for "Modern Rock Album of the Year" in 2004.[4]

During this time, Relient K also released a limited edition red vinyl EP entitled The Vinyl Countdown, only released in one printing. The EP included two versions of the song, "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying." The album was dedicated to Jesse Alkire, contest winner and friend of Matthew Thiessen, who inspired the song "The Vinyl Countdown."[17]

Since Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was released in March 2003, Relient K released a bonus disc for Christmas, entitled Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. The album was packaged with Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do from November 2003 to December 2003.[16]

Mmhmm (2004–2006)

Matt Thiessen (left) and Matt Hoopes (right), two of the band's founders, performing at Purple Door in 2005.

The group released their fourth album, Mmhmm, in late 2004. Pop-culture references were even less specific than on their third album, if present at all. The album was significantly more on the serious side with very few of the silly songs the band was known for.[18] The album had the band experimenting with their sound a bit more, which included incorporating piano, hardcore punk and some pop music.[18] In July 2005, the album was certified gold for shipping over 500,000 copies. It is reported that it has sold approximately 796,000 copies.[19] Driven by newfound recognition from Mmhmm, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was also certified gold in spring 2005. Also, it was announced in 2006 that their second record, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, had reached the Gold rank as well as certified by the RIAA.[20]

Shortly before Mmhmm's release, longtime bassist Brian Pittman left the band, citing that he was tired of touring and wanted to start a landscaping company.[21] He also joined Christian metal band Inhale Exhale shortly afterward. Matt Thiessen announced Pittman's departure in fall 2004, saying: "After almost seven years of being in Relient K, our cherished and lifelong friend, Brian Pittman has decided to move on to other things. That IS crazy, huh? Brian decided to leave the band in July, so we've had plenty of time to let the initial shock die down. We're aware that a lot of you already knew, so we apologize for not announcing this sooner. There were many reasons. He thought long and hard about his decision, and he came to the conclusion that he would like to do other things than play bass for the band. We respect him for it. We'd be lying to say that we're not all completely bummed that Brian won't be a part of Relient K anymore. And though we know things won't be the same without him, it must be said that we have always valued our friendships with him more than our on-stage relationship.

"Anyway, all of us still hang out, and its like nothing is different at all. I feel like that's how you know that you've made a friend that will be there for the rest of your days. We want to thank Brian for all the years he gave the band. You're the best, buddy."[8]

Pittman reunited with the band for one final show, which was the release party for "Mmhmm" at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio on November 1, 2004. John Warne, lead singer and guitarist of Ace Troubleshooter, filled in as bassist for the remainder of 2004 and became full-time bassist in 2005. Also in 2005, Jon Schneck joined as a third guitarist, as well as a banjo and bell player, to create a fuller, more distinctive sound. This was also because the band planned to add more piano, and having another guitarist gave Matt Thiessen the freedom to do that.[22]

Mmhmm features two Top 40 hits which both made it on MTV's Top Ten. The track "Be My Escape" is the band's most popular mainstream song to date.[citation needed] Its music video entered MTV's Top Ten, and landed them an appearance on The Tonight Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live. "Be My Escape" is also featured on Now! 19, a popular secular and quasi-annual compilation series. It was classified as a gold single in October 2005.[20] The music video for "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" has also made its way onto the Total Request Live countdown,[23] many top 40 radio stations, and was included on Now! 21. Mmhmm was awarded a Dove Award in 2006 for the "Rock Album of the Year."[5] The band was also nominated for "Artist of the Year" and "Band of the Year" at GMA Canada's 2006 Covenant Awards.[24]

Five Score and Seven Years Ago (2007)

Relient K, live at the Christian rock festival, Purple Door 2006

Recording sessions for another studio album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, started on June 18, 2006 and continued for parts of July and August. Some tracks on the album were produced by Howard Benson, (The All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.). "Four score and seven years ago" is the first line of the Gettysburg Address, the famous speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War. Thiessen had said that the title of the album comes from the fact that it's the band's fifth album, it is the first time all five of them are on a record together, and it has been seven years since they made their first record.[25]

While the band hoped for a November 2006 release, the official release date was announced as March 6, 2007.[25] The album is considered, by the band, to be their happiest record to date. On March 2, 2007 the entire album (except the last track, "Deathbed") was made available for streaming on the band's MySpace. Five Score and Seven Years Ago debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling about 64,000 copies in its first week.[26]

The band's first single from the album, "Must Have Done Something Right," was released on the iTunes Store on November 28, 2006 and to radio on January 9, 2007. "Forgiven" was the first radio single directed at Christian stations. "Forgiven" was the most added song on Christian radio and entered Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart on January 11, 2007. The single received enough airplay to be the fourth most played song on Christian Hit Radio (CHR) stations in 2007 according to R&R magazine.[27]

Matt Thiessen performs with Relient K at Purple Door, 2007

The second single from the album, "The Best Thing," was released to radio on April 10, 2007, taking the 7th most adds in its first week. Thiessen has said that "The Best Thing" is "the anti-Daniel Powter "Bad Day" song. It's straight-up positive." A video was filmed for the single.[28] The second single released on Christian CHR radio stations was "Give Until There's Nothing Left", which was the 20th most played song on CHR radio stations in 2007.[27]

In the early morning of June 28, 2007, Relient K's bus caught on fire from an oil spill from the engine. Everyone escaped safely, but the band lost many instruments, laptops, cameras, phones, iPods, clothes, and merchandise. Matt Thiessen said he lost a laptop that had roughly 100 unfinished songs on it, and Dave Douglas lost his Battlefield drum set. In the midst of it, the band still laughed at the situation, calling it "cinematic".[29] On a blog post on their website, Matt Thiessen stated that the next day after the fire, the band went to view the damage of their van and found that while 85% of their gear was intact, Douglas's drum kit set was not salvageable.[30] A member of the Switchfoot forums first announced it, asking everyone to pray for the band. The band had just played Creation Northeast, and had to cancel their appearance at Cornerstone Festival in Illinois, which the band has named as one of their favorite shows to do. They did, however, play their next scheduled show in Greeley, CO on June 30, 2007. In the months following, the band played more Christian rock festivals.

The band released Let It Snow, Baby... Let It Reindeer, a Christmas album, on October 23, 2007. The CD contained all of the tracks from Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand as well as six new songs.[31][32][33][34] This Christmas themed re-release was met with a peak of No. 96 on the Billboard 200.[35]

Relient K, Switchfoot and Ruth recently recorded a song together, "Rebuild". It is available for download on Switchfoot's website; fans can choose between paying for the song (with proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity) or downloading it for free.[36]

On October 18, 2007 drummer Dave Douglas announced his departure on the band's website due to a desire to pursue his side-project Gypsy Parade with his wife Rachel. There is no animosity between any of the members, and he finished to tour with the band until his last show on December 29, 2007.[37][38] On February 12, 2008 it was announced that Ethan Luck, former guitarist of The O.C. Supertones and for Demon Hunter, would be replacing Douglas as the band's new drummer.[39] Luck and Warne were in a short-lived band together called Guerilla Rodeo.

The recording of "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" which Relient K recorded for the 2002 movie, Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, was reused in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie.[citation needed]

The Bird and the Bee Sides (2008)

On July 1, 2008 Relient K released a double EP. The double EP is contained on a single disc and contains the The Nashville Tennis EP and The Bird and the Bee Sides. The Nashville Tennis EP included 13 tracks of new material that allowed the band to explore their sound a bit by allowing other band members, besides Thiessen and Hoopes, to compose/record a few tracks, as well as adding some influences from country and ska music. The Bird and the Bee Sides contained tracks that had previously been released on hard-to-come-by records.[40][41] The The Bird and the Bee Sides won the 2009 GMA Canada Covenant Award for Modern Rock/Alternative Album Of The Year. In turning in the EP, Relient K officially fulfilled their contract with Gotee Records and subsequently signed to and now manage Mono Vs. Stereo (an imprint of Gotee Records).[42]

Forget and Not Slow Down (2009)

In early 2009, the band began to write music for an album to be released later in 2009.[43] Thiessen stated that they were keen on finishing the album for a 2009 release and had begun recording the new album with their "favorite" producer, Mark Lee Townsend at Dark Horse Recording in Tennessee. After recording a few tracks, they stated that they would travel to California to record some more tracks with John Feldmann. Webisodes released weekly via the band's MySpace and Facebook pages show the recording progress in the studio.[44] On May 8, 2009, Thiessen announced on his Twitter account that the new album would be called Forget and Not Slow Down, which is also the title of a song on the album.[45]

Forget and Not Slow Down was available for pre-order, with the option of having a faux VIP-Pass signed by members of the band, and t-shirt, and a poster featuring the names of all who pre-ordered the album. On September 29, the album was made available for stream off of AbsolutePunk. It was released on October 6, 2009.

A bonus song was offered to customers who bought the album from Amazon.com's MP3 store. The song is entitled "Terminals" and was produced by Owl City's Adam Young. The song is now available for download without purchasing the full album.

Is for Karaoke EPs and cover album (2011)

On April 11, 2011, the band posted on their Facebook page that they had entered the studio to record a cover album.[46] On June 14, 2011, Alt Press reported the EP would be called K Is for Karaoke and displayed the album artwork.[47] The band revealed one album song per day on their Facebook page. The first album, Is for Karaoke EP, was made available for download on June 28, 2011 through the Amazon MP3 store. It was also available through iTunes or as a physical CD on the Vans Warped Tour and Rock The Universe at Universal Studios. On October 4, 2011 they released a second EP, Is for Karaoke EP, Part 2, and also the full-length album, Is for Karaoke, which features all the tracks from both EPs.[48]

Untitled Album (mid-2012)

In several interviews on YouTube, both Matt Thiessen and other band members have stated they plan to enter the studio in November to write and record the new Relient K record, which they hope will be released in the Spring of 2012.[49]

On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, the band (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release their future material (including their upcoming new album) on the RCA Records brand.[50][51]

On May 2, 2012, Relient K announced that they had begun recording a new album with producer Paul Moak.[52]

Band members

Current members
Touring members
Former members
  • Dave Douglas – drums, backing vocals (2000–2007)
  • Brian Pittman – bass guitar (1998–2004)
  • Brett Schoneman – drums (2000)
  • Jared Byers – drums (2000)
  • Stephen Cushman – drums, backing vocals (1998–2000)
  • Todd Frascone – drums (1998)

Tours and live performances

  • In 2004 and 2012 Relient K headlined the annual Parachute Music Festival in New Zealand.
  • Relient K performed in the 2005, 2008, and 2011 Vans Warped Tour.
  • Between September and November 2006, Relient K played on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Plain White T's, and The Sleeping.[53]
  • The band also took part in McDonald's Summer 2007 music tour. Every band involved in the tour has the chance to be involved in a future McDonald's ad. Votes by viewers will be counted to decide who will win. All live shows are available for viewing.[54]
  • Relient K and Switchfoot both played at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie Evan Almighty on June 22, 2007.[55] They also played at the Lizard Fair in Midland, Michigan on August 15, 2007 with Chris Daughtry.
  • "Must Have Done Something Right" and "The Best Thing" were performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno respectively. Relient K appeared again on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on December 17, 2008. They performed their cover "Sleigh Ride" from Let It Snow, Baby... Let It Reindeer. Actor Tom Wilson accompanied the band.
  • As of September 8, 2008, Relient K was on tour with Ludo, featuring This Providence and House of Heroes. The tour was title "The Uncle Fest Tour" and was during the month of October, with a few in early November. The last tour date was November 2.
  • In November and early December 2008, Relient K joined TobyMac and Family Force 5 on a month long tour called The Winter Wonder Slam Tour 2008.
  • Relient K toured with Runner Runner and Owl City in May 2009.[56]
  • Relient K toured throughout Australia in September 2009 alongside Lecrae, Reggie Dabbs and Australian band New Empire as part of an annual national Youth Alive event.
  • Relient K toured with Barcelona and Copeland that started on October 1, 2009, in New Haven, CT called the Three-Hour Tour,[57] named after a reference to the theme song of the TV sitcom, Gilligan's Island.
  • In September 2009, Relient K made an appearance at Big Exo Day, and played several songs including some from the new album 'forget and not slow down'.
  • In late 2009, Relient K went on the 2009 Winter Wonder Slam tour with tobyMac. Early on, Matt Hoopes left the tour for a family matter. On December 16, Matt Thiessen's mother had a severe heart attack and he too left the tour. Tim Skipper of House of Heroes filled Matt's place for the four remaining shows. Relient K had never lost the two Matts before on tour.
  • Relient K opened for Paramore's 2010 Spring tour.[citation needed]
  • Relient K are playing select dates on the 2010 Honda Civic Tour.[citation needed]
  • Opening for Paramore's 2010 New Zealand/Australia tour starting from October 7, 2010 together with New Zealand band Jury and The Saints.[citation needed]
  • Relient K will be touring with Sherwood and Deas Vail December 1–17, 2010 and playing acoustic sets.[58]
  • Relient K toured on the Vans Warped Tour 2011 from June 24 through August 14.[59]
  • As a part of "Faith Day," Relient K performed a post-game show in Cleveland, Ohio when the Cleveland Indians faced the Seattle Mariners on May 14, 2011.[60][61]

Other projects

The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind

In 2004, Relient K released a book entitled The Complex Infrastructure Known as the Female Mind. The book clues in the confused male Relient K fans on some of the inner workings of the female species, and clues in the confused female Relient K fans on some of the thoughts of males.[62] The band gives advice on the opposite sex through personal experience, stereotypes (including The Rock Chick and Vanilla Pudding), and Biblical advice—presented in the attitude found in their music. The title of the book is taken from the last line of the song "Mood Rings," which is found on their third album, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.

Woodland Forest

In June 2006, Relient K released the first episode of their own flash cartoon. The cartoon features all five band members, and takes place in a fictional land known as Woodland Forest. It is animated by bassist John Warne. There have only been two episodes thus far, and can be found on YouTube.[63][64] The cartoons also feature "Merle the Squirrel," singing the Woodland Forest theme song, as well as "Crosby the Reindeer," singing O Holy Night.

Podcasts

 This section may stray from the topic of the article. Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page. (July 2010)

Relient K has made a total of nine audio podcasts and eleven video podcasts.[citation needed] The nine audio podcasts were made during the band's time on the Matt Hoopes Birthday Tour. They included interviews with the band members, their guitar techs, and various other people who help them on tour. There were also interviews with the other touring bands, The Rocket Summer and Maxeen.[citation needed]

The five video podcasts include various scenes in the studio, as well as the band doing things outside the studio, much like the video podcasts made by Switchfoot. The first two video podcasts showed the band in the studio preparing for the recording of Five Score and Seven Years Ago, and Dave Douglas recording the drum parts, respectively. The third video podcast was a collection of footage and discussions from the Nintendo Fusion Tour, and a Mario Kart DS Tournament between the five band members. The fourth video podcast showed Jon Schneck and Dave Douglas preparing for a boxing match (which is also included and completed in the Wal-Mart "Devastation and Reform" video), and the fifth video podcast showed the completion of the battle. There is a sixth unreleased video podcast including John Warne fulfilling his lifelong dream of walking into a room with the AutoZone Theme Song playing. It shows Warne recording the song with the assistance of Dave Douglas and Jon Schneck. It can be found on YouTube at the present time, and it is currently unofficially released on the site, as it has not made it to the band's official site.[citation needed] Their eighth video podcast is about the band going to see millions of bats fly at sundown. The last podcast is a short video showing the band playing a game they made up called "Gum Golf" which they came with up during the release of their Christmas album Let it Snow, Baby... let it Reindeer. Just recently Relient K released four podcasts telling of their new album.

Related projects

Outside of Relient K, Matt Thiessen has a piano-focused solo project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He started it in 1998, around the time Relient K was started. He has released seven songs either online or on various CD releases. Thiessen also has The Makeout Girls, a less serious side project that features himself and his friend, Kevan Peden. They have released one known song, which was the hidden track known as "Silly Shoes" from Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.[citation needed]

Former drummer Dave Douglas created a project called Agnes, a solo rock project that somewhat resembles the sound of Relient K's earlier music with his own twist. Douglas also started a project called Gypsy Parade, a softer project that he started with his wife, Rachel. They have released two demo songs on their MySpace with more expected. Douglas amicably left Relient K to further pursue this project.[citation needed] Gypsy Parade has since disbanded, Attack Cat taking its place.[65]

Ethan Luck, the current drummer, was involved with the Christian metal band Demon Hunter until late 2009, but he also has a side project called My Red Hot Nightmare[citation needed] which included drummer Josh Abbott, who was the drummer for Bassist John Warne's band, Ace Troubleshooter for the band's entire existence. Luck also played guitar in the Christian Ska band The O.C. Supertones and is featured on a few of their albums, including Loud and Clear and Live! Volume One.

Three tracks were featured on the compilation album My Other Band, Vol. 1 on Mono vs Stereo records in 2006, from Matt Thiessen's side project Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, Dave Douglas' side project Agnes, and Ethan Luck's My Red Hot Nightmare project.[citation needed] Relient K was part of a fundraiser called "Habitat for Humanity" with other Christian bands. Matt Thiessen and Jon Foreman (Switchfoot's lead singer and guitarist) wrote a song called "Rebuild" to help raise even more money.

In 2011, John Warne became a member of Yellow Second.[66]

Kelly Clarkson's CD, All I Ever Wanted, features Matt Thiessen who co-wrote along with Katy Perry the song "Longshot!".

Philanthropy

Relient K starred in the educational Drug Prevention Film, "Natural High 4" [1]. They provided advice to young adults to stay off of drugs and to pursue their personal best.

Discography

Main article: Relient K discography

Studio albums

References

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  3. ^ a b "Complete List of Grammy Awards Nominations". Associated Press. April 12, 2003. http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12175430. Retrieved March 21, 2007. 
  4. ^ a b "Dove Award Recipients for 2004". Gospel Music Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061020022920/http://www.doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm?year=2004. Retrieved February 21, 2007. [dead link]
  5. ^ a b "Dove Award Recipients for 2006". Gospel Music Association. Archived from the original on October 20, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061020022830/http://www.doveawards.com/history/browse.cfm?year=2006. Retrieved February 13, 2007. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Sales-Week Ending-3/11/07". March 16, 2007. http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2007/03/16/726/. Retrieved July 6, 2008. [self-published source?]
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  8. ^ a b "The Real Special K". http://www.crosswalk.com/culture/music/the-real-special-k-1302673.html?ps=0. Retrieved November 6, 2011. 
  9. ^ a b c Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 750–751. ISBN 1-56563-679-1. 
  10. ^ Relient K - Hello McFly at YouTube[unreliable source?]
  11. ^ Relient K - Marilyn Manson Ate My Girlfriend at YouTube[unreliable source?]
  12. ^ Relient K - Charles In Charge at YouTube[unreliable source?]
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  25. ^ a b Montgomery, James. "Relient K Pump Serious Rock, Sugary Pop In The Tank For Upcoming LP", MTV News January 2, 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2007.
  26. ^ Chart Recap: Dead Rapper Tops Chart With Less Than 100,000[self-published source?]
  27. ^ a b 2007 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs, R&R magazine. Retrieved January 6, 2008.
  28. ^ A band 'Relient' on the power of the Lord
  29. ^ Kane, Dan. "Relient K escapes bus fire", CantonRep.com - Canton and Stark County News, June 29, 2007. (archived)
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  31. ^ "Album Release Dates, CD New Releases, at Jesus Freak Hideout". Jesusfreakhideout.com. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/releases/default.asp. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
  32. ^ Relient K - News[dead link]
  33. ^ "Christian Music News at Jesus Freak Hideout". Jesusfreakhideout.com. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/default.asp. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
  34. ^ "Relient K, ''Let It Snow, Baby... Let It Reindeer'' Review at Jesus Freak Hideout". Jesusfreakhideout.com. October 23, 2007. http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/cdreviews/LetItSnowBabyLetItReindeer.asp. Retrieved October 4, 2011. 
  35. ^ "Relient K Let It Snow, Baby, Let It Reindeer". Billboard.com. March 17, 2008. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=392256&aid=1085254. Retrieved March 17, 2008. [dead link][dead link]
  36. ^ "Switchfoot, Relient K Concerts Raise Over $40K for Habitat for Humanity". http://www.christianpost.com/news/switchfoot-relient-k-concerts-raise-over-40k-for-habitat-for-humanity-30153/. Retrieved November 6, 2011. 
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  41. ^ "Bird and Bee Sides Cover Art". Absolute Punk.net. http://absolutepunk.net/gallery/showimage.php?i=64356&c=7. Retrieved July 8, 2008. [unreliable source?]
  42. ^ Thiessen, Matthew (March 23, 2009). "Matthew Thiessen's Pack Of Wild Blogs". Archived from the original on April 3, 2009. http://www.webcitation.org/5flWgMX7L. "After we turned in The Bird and the Bee Sides, we fulfilled our first record deal (six albums) with Gotee Records. This made us free agents. Our plan? Matt Hoopes and I just signed up to begin positions as A&R for the soon to be resurrected Mono Vs. Stereo records. We'll sign a few bands a year, and also release Relient K's material through the label." [self-published source?]
  43. ^ Matthew Thiessen's Pack Of Wild Blogs, 2009-01-17[self-published source?]
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  46. ^ Relient K Facebook Page[self-published source?]
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  50. ^ "RCA's New Executive Team Named Under CEO Peter Edge Amid Layoffs (Update)". Billboard.biz. August 23, 2011. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/rca-s-new-executive-team-named-under-ceo-1005324782.story. Retrieved October 8, 2011. 
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  54. ^ McDonald's Live
  55. ^ 'Bruce Almighty' Sequel Premiere to Draw Top Christian Bands, BREATHEcast.com
  56. ^ Concert photos at Beatcrave.com. Retrieved May 29, 2009.
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  61. ^ "Cleveland Indians Faith and Family Day at Progressive Field on Saturday, May 14". http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20110413&content_id=17723694&vkey=pr_cle&fext=.jsp&c_id=cle. 
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  63. ^ YouTube - Woodland Forest - Episode 1[unreliable source?]
  64. ^ YouTube - Woodland Forest - O Holy Nightmare[unreliable source?]
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