Relient K

Relient K is a Christian rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio named after guitarist Matt Hoopes' Plymouth Reliant K car. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best Gospel Modern Rock Album. All the members are Christians, although some fans have questioned the band being in the Christian rock genre. On the subject of this, lead singer Matt Thiessen stated in a interview that they do not care if they are called a Christian band, a rock and roll band, or whatever else. He added, "We just sing about what we want to sing about, which most of the time, is our faith".Template:Fact

The band broke into the mainstream in 2004 after Capitol signed them and they released their fourth record, Mmhmm, which produced three top five hits on Christian radio and two top 20 hits on mainstream radio. They are now ready to release their fifth full length record, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, which is scheduled to be released on March 6, 2007.

Members

Relient K was founded in 1998 by Matt Thiessen and Matt Hoopes on guitar, and Brian Pittman on bass. Todd Frescone joined for a short time on the drums in 1998. After All Work and No Play, Todd Frescone was replaced by Stephen Cushman. Cushman played drums on the 2000 A.D.D., and on the self-titled album in 2000, but left later that year to join metal band Narcissus. Jared Byers, drummer of Bleach, filled in as the temporary drummer, until Dave Douglas joined in December of 2000. This lineup remained static from the release of The Creepy EP and The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek in 2001, through the release of Mmhmm in 2004, after which Brian Pittman left to start a landscaping company. Pittman now plays bass for the Christian metal band Inhale Exhale. John Warne, lead singer and guitarist of Ace Troubleshooter, filled in as bassist for the remainder of 2004. He 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.

Current members

• Matt Thiessen – lead vocals, guitar, piano (1998–present)
• Matt Hoopes – guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
• Dave Douglas – drums, backing vocals (2000-present)
• John Warne – bass, backing vocals (2004–present)
• Jon Schneck – guitar, banjo, bells, backing vocals (2005–present)

Former members

• Todd Frescone – drums (1998)
• Stephen Cushman – drums, backing vocals (1998–2000)
• Jared Byers – drums (2000)
• Brian Pittman – bass (1998–2004)

History

Beginnings (1998–2002)

Relient K's demo, All Work and No Play, caught the attention of dc Talk's Toby McKeehan. All Work and No Play was recorded by Mark Townsend, the former live guitar player for DC Talk, as a favor for his daughter who was friends with the band. The CD was recorded in one day. Mark's daughter is now married to Matt Hoopes. After Toby signed the band to his label, Gotee Records, Relient K released their debut EP entitled 2000 A.D.D. EP in 2000. Later that year, they released Relient K, their first full-length and self-titled CD. It was distinctly Christian rock and featured lyrics with a wide range of pop-culture references.

In 2001, the band released their sophomore album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. This album launched both Relient K and their sound to a whole new level. There were still plenty of pop-culture references on this album, which was evident in the song "Sadie Hawkins Dance." It contained many more softer songs and slightly lighter guitars. They would continue chords through tracks in order to fluidly transition in between songs, a trend that continued on their later albums.

Rising popularity and mainstream success (2002–2003)

Anatomy landed them in the Christian rock limelight, as they were then asked to do their rendition of the popular VeggieTales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the 2002 VeggieTales movie Jonah. The song was released on two different albums (both in single form). The first version also including their song "Breakdown" being sung by Larry the Cucumber. There was also a promotional version which included the original version of Breakdown. 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.

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 car in some kind of wreck. As pop-culture references became less specific, sound and vocals became far more defined. 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. It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Christian Modern Rock.

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 same year, Relient K made a special appearance at the final Five Iron Frenzy concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado where they performed, for the very last time, "Five Iron Frenzy is Either Dead or Dying". The album was dedicated to contest winner and friend of Matthew Thiessen, Jesse Alkire, who inspired the song "The Vinyl Countdown."

Since Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was released in March of 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.

Mmhmm (2004–2006)

In late 2004, the group released their long-expected fourth album, Mmhmm. Pop-culture references were even less specific than on their third album, if not nonexistent. The album was significantly more on the serious side with very few of the silly songs the band was known for. The album is much more piano-driven in parts (including an entire song, "Let It All Out"), but more hard rock in others ("Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet"). In July 2005, the album was certified gold for shipping over 500,000 copies. It is reported that it has sold appromixatley 796,000 copies.[1]Also, driven by newfound recognition from Mmhmm, Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do was also certified gold in spring 2005. It has been announced that their second record, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek, recently reached the Gold as well. It is awaiting certification by the RIAA.

Mmhmm features two top 40 hits which both made it on MTV's Top Ten. The track "Be My Escape", which can be found on Mmhmm, is the band's most popular mainstream song to date. 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 platinum single in November of 2005. The music video for "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been", also from Mmhmm, has also made its way onto the TRL countdown, many top 40 radio stations, and was included on Now! 21. In early June 2005, the band was featured on MTV's 10 Spot Drop, which gave the band a boost in its popularity, as did their Spring 2005 tour opening for Simple Plan and Good Charlotte and having the main stage slot on the 2005 Van's Warped Tour. Mmhmm was awarded a Dove Award in 2005 for the Rock Album of the Year. The band was also nominated for "Artist of the Year" and "Band of the Year" at the 2006 Gospel Music Association (GMA) Canada's Covenant Awards and Canada's Juno Awards for "Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year". The band qualifies for these awards because Matt Theissen was born in St. Catharines, Ontario in Canada.

During September to November 2006, Relient K played on the Nintendo Fusion Tour with Hawthorne Heights, Emery, Plain White T's, and The Sleeping.

Five Score and Seven Years Ago (2006–present)

Recording for the new album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, started (according to Thiessen at the Ichthus Music Festival 2006) on June 18, 2006 and continued for parts of July and August. Some tracks on the album were produced by Howard Benson (All-American Rejects, My Chemical Romance, P.O.D.). While the band hoped for a November 2006 release, the official release date was announced as March 6, 2007.

Matt Theissen, the lead singer, has been quoted as saying that the title of the album comes from the fact that it's the band's fifth album in seven years. The album has 14 songs on it and and is considered, by the band, their happiest record. It includes happy love songs and also includes an eleven minute epic song called "Deathbed" about an aging cancer patient's last moments. In an interview on XM radio, Matt Thiessen and Matt Hoopes said that the song "Faking My Own Suicide" will appear on the record. The song originally appeared on My Other Band, Vol. 1 as a demo song under Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. In the XM interview Matt Thiessen said that he made the kick drum and snare sound with his mouth on an a cappella song titled "Plead the Fifth". The band's first single from the new album, "Must Have Done Something Right" was released on iTunes on November 28 and to radio on January 9, 2007. "Forgiven", a radio single directed at Christian stations, is also being aired now. Forgiven was the most added song on Christian radio and entered Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart on January 11, 2007.

In Britain, under EMI which Relient K is signed to, Relient K has decided to sell their songs in MP3 format. The single "Must Have Done Something Right" went on sale December 5, 2006 via Yahoo's online music service. This download also includes the song "Forgiven".

"Must Have Done Something Right", released to radio on January 9, 2007, was released to 30 Top 40 stations. As of January 20, 2007, it was #56 on the Top 40 charts , and was the tenth most added song for the week ending January 26, 2007. The music video for "Must Have Done Something Right" premiered on February 6, 2007.

Relient K as a Christian band

It has been debated among some fans and critics whether or not Relient K is a Christian band. The band's songs are not all about God, but the majority of them say "You" in reference to God, or talk about subjects such as becoming a better person. The band has played on MTV, but as with other bands like Switchfoot, the mainstream is a way for a band like Relient K to get Christian-themed music to non-Christian listeners. On the subject of Christian music, Matt Thiessen said, "People ask us what kind of band we are, and our response is, call us what you want. You can call us a Christian band, you can call us a rock and roll band, we can tour with this band, we can tour with that band. But, we don't care, we just write about what we want to write about. Which, most of the time, is our faith". He and Matt Hoopes discussed Christianity in an interview with Ichthus Festival. Despite criticism, the band's music still appears on Christian radio stations, bookstores, and music websites, and they still play numerous Christian rock festivals.

Discography

Albums

Album Cover	Year	Title	Label(s)	Status
File:RelientKRelientK.jpg	2000	Relient K	Gotee
File:RelientKTheAnatomyoftheTongeinCheek.jpg	2001	The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek	Gotee	Gold
File:RKTwoLefts.jpg	2003	Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do	Gotee	Gold
File:RelientKMmhmm.jpg	2004	Mmhmm	Gotee Capitol Mono Vs Stereo	Gold
50px	2007	Five Score and Seven Years Ago (To be released March 6, 2007)	Gotee Capitol EMI

EPs

EP Cover	Year	Title	Label(s)
50px	2000	2000 A.D.D.	Gotee
50px	2001	The Creepy EP	Gotee
50px	2002	Employee of the Month EP	Gotee
50px	2003	The Vinyl Countdown	Mono Vs Stereo
50px	2005	Apathetic EP	GoteeCapitol

Singles

Year	Single	Chart positions									Album
		Billboard Hot 100	Top 40 Mainstream	Billboard Pop 100	Hot Digital Tracks	Hot Christian Songs	CCM Charts	Indonesia Top 40	Pacific Top 40 Countdown	Australia Modern Rock Top 50
2003	"Getting Into You"	-	-	-	-	#28	#4	-	-	-	Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do
2005	"High of 75"	-	-	-	-	#17	#2	-	-	-	Mmhmm
2005	"Be My Escape"	#82	-	#48	#43	#16	#1	-	-	-	Mmhmm
2006	"Who I Am Hates Who I've Been"	#58	#22	#35	#37	#32	#1	-	-	-	Mmhmm
2006	"Must Have Done Something Right"1	-	#451 [2]	-	-	-	-	#21 [3]	#51 [4]	#11 [5]	Five Score and Seven Years Ago
2006	"Forgiven"1	-	-	-	-	#171	#31 [6]	-	-	-	Five Score and Seven Years Ago

^{1 indicates that the song is currently active on the charts. These are the highest chart positions to date.}

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 works of the female species. The band gives advice on the opposite sex through personal experience, stereotypes (including Rocker and Vanilla Pudding), and Biblical advice—presented in the fun 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. Episodes will continue to be released on a regular basis, and can be found on the band's MySpace. [7] The cartoon also features "Merle the Squirrel", who is now on Relient K t-shirts, and has his own MySpace page. [8]

Trivia

• The band's name was intentionally misspelled to avoid trademark infringement over the Reliant name. When they later found out that the trademark wouldn't be an issue, they kept the name, as they found the misspelling funny.
• Not only does Matt Hoopes still have his old Plymouth Reliant, but Matt Thiessen has also said that after the band started, he bought his own Reliant K.
• Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and former bass player Brian Pittman have known each other since they were in second grade.
• Both Matt Thiessen and Dave Douglas each have two of their own side projects, respectively. Matt Thiessen has Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, a soft and emotional project that primarily features the piano, and The Makeout Girls, a less serious side project that features his friend, Kevan Pedan. Dave Douglas has Agnes, a solo rock project that features the sound of Relient K's earlier music, and Gypsy Parade, a softer project that he started with his wife.
• As a homage to their own song, the band used to encourage fans to bring Skittles and Combos to shows. While they no longer encourage it, fans still do, and often throw packages to the band. In addition, small packages of each are sometimes placed on the stage by the crew prior to performances.
• Jeremy Thiessen, the drummer for the band downhere, is not related to Matt Thiessen, though Matt does have a brother named Jeremy.
• The band has a trend of playing cover songs at their shows, and they usually pick well known songs from the 1990s or TV and Movie Themes. Songs they have covered live include "Danger Zone", "Take My Breath Away", "The Top Gun Theme", "That Thing You Do", "The Full House Theme", and music from Super Mario Bros.. They have also covered such artists as MC Hammer and Shania Twain in their first few years of touring.

External links

• Official band website
• Template:MySpace
• Relient K at hi5.com
• Band of the Day's 10 Questions with Relient K
• Interview with Matt & Jon
• Relient K guitar tabs