My Conversation with
Relient K
A Breakaway reader — and card-carrying Relient
K fan — interviews Gotee Records’ chart-toppin’, pop-rock band.
Will Thompson - August 2001
REWIND
TO JULY 2000:
It’s a hot summer day, and I’m at Creation West Coast Festival near
Portland, Ore. I’m here to see what’s so hot about four Ohio-based
pop-rockers who call themselves Relient K.
Soon, the music kicks in and I quickly discover why. One of the band members asks the crowd to throw their fists in the air and begin shouting "Hello McFly!" The audience responds, and the band plows in to their crazy song titled — you guessed it — "Hello McFly."
I can’t help shaking my head and smiling. The guys — Matt Hoopes, guitar; Matt Thiessen, lead vocals/songwriter/guitar; Brian Pittman, bassist; and Dave Douglas, drums — put on an amazing show, delivering a high-octane mixture of the silly and the sacred; music that can only be described as "FUN!" After a sweaty half hour of rocking out, I’m definitely "Relient K-O’d." (A card-carrying Relient K fan!)
FAST-FORWARD
TO AUGUST 2001:
The band’s long-awaited second release, The Anatomy of the Tongue in
Cheek, hits record stores coast to coast. One listen, and I’m still "Relient
K-O’d." The guys blend tracks like "Breakdown," a raucous
rant against a "beater car," with the reverent, acoustic tones of
"For the Moments I Feel Faint." It’s not hard to figure out
why this young band often shares the stage with groups like The O.C. Supertones,
Switchfoot and Five Iron Frenzy.
PAUSE
ON THE PRESENT:
Being the diehard Breakaway reader that I am, I couldn’t wait to tell
the mag’s editor all about the band. So I picked up the phone and called
Michael Ross. Amazing — I actually got through to Michael! And what he
said nearly shocked me to death.
"I like the band, too," Michael told me. "Since you’re such a big-time Relient K fan, how about if I get the guys on the phone and YOU do the interview?!" I think I dropped the phone and lost consciousness!
Once I regained my senses, Michael and I caught up with the band by phone. (Relient K did the interview from the Thiessen family’s basement just before a show in their hometown of Canton, Ohio.)
Join us as we dive into the craniums of Relient K — well, at least the two Matts — and find out what makes these guys tick.
Breakaway: Is it true that you named your band after a beat-up Reliant K car you owned?
Matt H.: That’s the story we’re tellin’! Actually, we like the sound of this name, so we went with it.
What’s with the misspelling: Relient instead of Reliant?
Matt H.: That was to keep Chrysler’s lawyers happy. They own the version with an a.
You guys received a Billboard Music Video Award for the song, "My Girlfriend." What’s this tune all about?
Matt T.: It’s about a friend who had some problems at home with her folks. She ended up going to a detention facility, which was about the point when her life went from bad to worse. She started getting into Marilyn Manson’s music and even supported his weird antics — like the time at the MTV Movie Awards when Manson called Christians hypocrites and ripped up a Bible. My friend actually thought this was cool. In the Bible, it says that Satan is like a lion, looking for people to devour. This is exactly what happened to my friend. Satan’s lies began to consume her mind.
So based on your own personal experiences, what suggestions would you give to guys who are wanting to share their faith with friends at school?
Matt T.: Share your faith through your life. People will find out more by your example — just being nice to people — than by a tongue lashing.
Matt H.: And don’t worry if people see your faults. Don’t worry if people know what you struggle with. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. And, looking back, we thought we were so strong because we would try to put up this image like we’ve got it all together, and really we were weak because the impact we were having was more negative than positive. Be honest about your struggles and at the same time offer unconditional love and acceptance to everyone.
Let’s get back to your current album, The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. How’d you come up with this title?
Matt T.: Everybody always tells me that I’m a tongue-in-cheek kinda guy. I also like the word anatomy; it sounds sorta funny to me. So I put the two together. I know this is a strange explanation, but that’s really how I came up with the title! The fact is, as a band, we don’t take ourselves too seriously — which is good advice for all Christians. We need to lighten up more, and make people smile. I think we accomplish this with our current album: deep truths with lots of smiles.