Relient K Goes Domestic
This year, two of the guys have married and neighbors have reported some cooking
Jenni Isaac - October 2003

The moniker "Relient K" is typically synonymous with the eclectic amalgamation of shaggy hair, multiple part harmonies, grungy punk music and oddly random lyrics. This combination has been known to send Christians and nonbelievers alike scrambling to don vintage '80s T-shirts and head bang all the way to the nearest band performance. And while there is much to be said about this strange phenomenon, there are even more peculiar things to say about the guys who are a part of it.

For instance, who would have thought that United States senators would invite the members of Relient K to a meeting in Washington, D.C. to proposition them to write songs about political issues, such as gay marriages in Massachusetts and cloning Dolly the sheep? Or that guitar player Matt Hoopes' new quesadilla maker would create major controversy within the group? Or that lead singer Matt Thiessen's ancestors include members of a pink-and-brown-suit-wearing octet called "The Sacred Airs?" And can it be possible that two of the 20-something band members are married?

But it's true. It's all true.

Relient K's music is certainly interesting, as is their method of ministry. But most intriguing are the boyish-men behind the madness and the antics that make Relient K one of Christian music's most beloved bands.

Vote Relient K in 2003!

So what's up with the Washington thing? Why are our Congress people asking Relient K to write songs about current political issues?

"Well, a senator can't really talk to kids about this stuff," Thiessen explains.

"Yeah, they're just trying to inform artists of what's going on so we can be politically relevant," drummer Dave Douglas adds.

Okay. But it's still strange.

Two weddings and a quesadilla maker

Perhaps most surprising is that two of the band's members have new wives. Many people are unaware that Douglas celebrated his wedding to now-wife Rachel on May 24. And that Hoopes wed his wife, Danielle, two weeks later on June 7. Band members admit that there was some trepidation as to the possibility of the new marriages causing a change in the dynamics of the band. They found, however, that they had little to worry about.

"I think we toured with enough bands that had married guys in it to the extent that we were educated enough to know what was going to happen," Thiessen explains.

"I feel like it almost simplifies some issues," Douglas adds, "because now they're our wives and not just girlfriends we want to bring along. So when they do come out (on tour), it makes sense."

In fact, the band may benefit from the addition of the wives via new perspectives and inspiration from Douglas and Hoopes—though Pittman may complain about not knowing the band had a fifth and sixth member ("keyboardists," as Thiessen jokes).

On the flip side, there is the matter of the quesadilla maker. The story goes as follows:

As married men, Douglas and Hoopes have been learning to enjoy a cleaner, healthier lifestyle, including the consumption of meals prepared for them by their respective spouses. Somehow, be it wedding gift or merely a culinary purchase, the Hoopes family ended up with a quesadilla maker, with which the new Mrs. Hoopes planned to create spectacular cheese and tortilla concoctions.

Thiessen, desiring to join his friends in the christening of the new appliance, requested that he be present for the first use of the equipment—thus, the mix-up. Thiessen swears that Hoopes promised to include him in the maiden voyage of the quesadilla maker. Hoopes, on the other hand, maintains that he made no such promise, and that they were not even in the same state as the device when it was first used.

Though still unresolved, this issue (luckily) seems to be the worst that has happened thus far. And perhaps it is the new familial feelings (from the addition of the wives) that recently prompted Hoopes to thumb through his parents' old record collection and reminisce about past encounters with Christian music.

Good old Christian music

Though members of Relient K usually credit Christian band Five Iron Frenzy as one of their main influences, they also admit to having owned 4HIM tapes in the not-so-distant past. And, as mentioned previously, Thiessen's musical roots include a lineage deeply intertwined with Christian music—and pink and brown suits.

"My parents were in an octet," Thiessen explains. "They were called 'The Sacred Airs.' I think it's a music term. They would tour South America and my mom would make their costumes out of curtains and stuff. They had these rad pink and brown suits."

Thiessen also reports that the pink and brown suits are still intact and safely stored at his home. There is still no word if the band is planning on wearing them at concerts. But it may be that the foray into exploring their musical roots could influence their next record. And incidentally, Relient K plans on beginning work on a new project in the near future.

Something to remember

The best thing about the band is that through new records and old, fans can always depend on the guys for fun and innovative music with a message. Though they have a reputation for being odd, and are, at times, a little crazy, Hoopes, Thiessen, Douglas and Pittman still keep in mind a piece of advice given to them at the beginning of their careers.

"I say this a lot," Thiessen says, "but when we first started being a band, Mark Townsend (who has produced three Relient K records) said, 'There are going to be some really good days when you're having really fun shows. And then there is going to be a show you play in the middle of nowhere and there are going to be 14 kids there. It's up to you how your attitude is and how you perceive things. But if you make a difference in one kid's life at the show with 14 people, when everything is said and done, that's going to be more important than a million record sales or playing in front of thousands and thousands of people.' And that's always stuck with me. Actually trying to do something relevant and make a difference in one or more people's lives is probably the most impacting thing we could do in this world."

Listen for the Relient K's single, "Getting Into You" on Air 1 Radio.

- Air1

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