Musician Interview
with Matt Thiessen of Relient K
Michael Montes - 2005
Q: Relient K's music is available on Gotee Records. Can you tell us the process Relient K went thru to get inked to a record deal?
Matt: We made a demo in the early stages of our band. Despite the demo sounding awful, one of the owners of Gotee Records heard some promise in it and signed us.
Q: What advice would you give a young musician or band who's looking to get inked to a record deal?
Matt: Make music that is original and that other people enjoy listening to. Get really good at playing it live, and always have fun with it.
Q: "Mmhmm," is the band's latest release, how is this CD different from the others Relient K have released?
Matt: It’s a little more serious. It’s more dynamic as well.
Q: What are your favorite tracks off the CD?
Matt: Which To Bury; Us Or the Hatchet and More Than Useless.
Q: What kind of message does Relient K try to incorporate into their songs?
Matt: Every song is different. But usually there is something positive in all of them.
Q: On the average how many songs does Relient K write before going into the studio and recording an album?
Matt: 18-20.
Q: How do you decide which songs make it onto the CD and which get released as singles?
Matt: Usually the record label picks the singles…we choose which songs get cut from the album.
Q: Where can readers go to sample music by Relient K, then go and buy your CD?
Matt: Purevolume.com/relientk, you can buy it pretty much anywhere.
Q: We always get asked this by readers. How can a fan get a CD they purchased signed by the band?
Matt: Bring it to a show…we always hang out afterwords.
Q: Where do you see Relient K five years from now?
Matt: Its hard to say. We may still be around we may not. We’ll definitely have to do some changing if we’re still around.
Q: Do you recall the first show Relient K did and how the band has changed from that show to say one of your more recent shows?
Matt: Ha. Well, one of our first shows we played without a sound system…we just tried scream over our amps.
Q: How can a fan become a member of the Relient K Street team?
Matt: There’s information on our website relientk.com.
Relient K is from Canton, Ohio. They tour nationally on a regular basis. Their latest CD "Mmhmm," is available at stores everywhere. The band consists of Matthew Thiessen - Vocals/Guitar, Matthew Hoopes - Guitar/Vocals, Dave Douglas - Drums/Vocals and Brian Pittman - Bass. You can visit Relient K online by going to relientk.com or myspace.com/relientk.