Punk band Relient K seems to get bigger and bigger with each new album. mmHmm (2004) brought the band to new heights, debuting at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and since selling over half a million copies. The band has also been featured in a number of high-profile tours (Vans Warped, MxPx) and television appearances (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, MTV'sTRL). Yet Matt Thiessen (vocals/guitar/piano) takes it all in stride, suggesting that the band still hasn't broke big—though that's not exactly Relient K's goal either. On the eve of the release of the band's fifth album, Five Score & Seven Years Ago, we had a few moments to talk to Thiessen about how the band remains true to its Christian roots amidst all the new opportunities.
Matt Thiessen (at the wheel) and his band Relient K seem to be headed on the road to superstardom.
Last time we talked, you had mixed emotions about playing the Vans Warped Tour with Good Charlotte and Simple Plan. Did that tour work out the way you expected it to?
Matt Thiessen Yeah, we were a little apprehensive about that. We didn't know how well things would go over as far as [our sound and what we stand for]. We anticipated that we would be the black sheep on the Warped Tour because of our beliefs. But really we were the black sheep because we were the only band that didn't "scream." No bottles were thrown at us, or anything like that. I feel like a lot of bands—Sixpence None the Richer, Switchfoot, P.O.D.—have really paved the way for us. So while many of those bands on the Warped Tour didn't share our Christian beliefs, I guess they were just intelligent [or open-minded] enough to tolerate us and be cool with it.
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