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Interview: Relient K

Poised to release their fifth album in seven years—the aptly titled Five Score & Seven Years Ago—the Ohio born and bred punk/pop quintet Relient K don't waste time. Their last three albums have gone gold, and the newest LP by this hard-working act looks to be on track for more of the same.

Three of the boys from the band, lead singer Matt Thiessen, guitarist Matthew Hoopes, and bassist John Warne, gamely participated in an email roundtable with us, giving ARTISTdirect the low-down on the origins of the band's name, what their worst break-ups have been, why Cleveland is cooler than you think, and (most importantly) what's on their iPods.

Pizza or Sushi?

Matt Thiessen: Sushi.

John Warne: Pizza with a sushi-filled crust.

Matt Hoopes: Both of them.


The Onion or The Simpsons?

Thiessen, Warne & Hoopes: The Simpsons.


Ashlee or Jessica?

Hoopes: Nope.

Warne: Gonna have to go with Jessica on this one.

Thiessen: I prefer paper, not plastic.


Beatles or Stones?

Thiessen, Warne & Hoopes: Beatles.


Pick a dream band (past or present) that you'd like to open for.

Warne: See the previous question.

Hoopes: Jimmy Eat World.

Thiessen: Brian Wilson on the Pet Sounds tour (as long as no one boos us off the stage).


Being from Canton, Ohio, you're not far from the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame. Um, why is that in Cleveland?

Warne: Apparently you haven't heard the word on the street. Cleveland rocks.

Thiessen: NYC doesn't need any more tourist attractions.

Hoopes: Obviously, because Cleveland rocks.


What band should be in the hall of fame that isn't?

Thiessen: The Zombies.

Warne: The Soggy Bottom Boys.

Hoopes: Aaron Carter.


And what band is in the hall of fame that shouldn't be?

Thiessen: Blondie?

Warne: Dunno.

Hoopes: Probably the Beatles.


Are you guys Cleveland Browns fans?

Thiessen: Dave and I are.

Warne: Some of us root for the Browns. But I like the Vikes.

Hoopes: If I was into football, yes.


Tell us something about Canton or Ohio that we probably didn't know.

Thiessen: There is no venue for a rock and roll band to play. It's quite sad.

Warne: Birthplace of the deep-fried, powder-sugar-coated candy bar.

Hoopes: Ohio became a state in 1803 and the official state drink is tomato juice. I didn't even know there was such a thing as a state drink.


I've heard that the band name comes from the joke that was the Relient automobile.

Warne: Oh you have, have you?

Thiessen: Yeah, we made fun of Hoopes so much for driving one that the "K Car" became an icon.

Hoopes: It is on blocks at my parents house as we speak.


What other make/model of car would've made a good band name for you guys?

Thiessen: The Probes.

Warne: The Hyundais.

Hoopes: The Lincoln Continental.


Everyone likes to point out that you're a Christian rock band. Are you a rock band that happens to be Christian or Christians that happened to be in a rock band?

Warne: Yup.

Hoopes: We are all Christians, and that is something that is very important to all of us.

Thiessen: We're Christians. We write a lot of songs about our faith. We love what we do. We don't care how we're labeled, so if people wanna call us one or the other, we're cool with it.


When you started the band, did any of you envision being on a major label with five albums under your belt?

Warne: My Magic Eight Ball said the answer was no.

Thiessen: No way. We were hoping to sell just enough records to allow us to tour and have fun for a few years.

Hoopes: I thought we would all quit and go to college to be architects.


What has changed for you guys? What hasn't?

Thiessen: We're older, 80% married, and we don't all live in Ohio anymore. (Dave and I are the only ones left). We think a lot of the same things. We love making records for (what we think are) the right reasons. Not just for money or popularity.

Hoopes: I think it just gets different when you get older. It is still fun to tour but a lot of us have wives and families at home, and it's not fun to be away from them. But there are still a lot of great things about getting this kind of opportunity to play music as a job.

Warne: I can no longer go out in public without... shoes.


Kevin Federline experienced the Blackberry break-up. What's the worst way any of you guys have been dumped?

Thiessen: This girl I had been in love with for YEARS dumped me after a day and a half.

Warne: One girl left me on a rainy street-corner at night under a dim lamp with flowers in my hand and sadness in my heart.

Hoopes: On my birthday when I had the flu, over the phone.


What's on your iPod right now?

Thiessen: 14,000 songs! Spilt Milk by Jellyfish is a current fave.

Warne: I'm listening to The Album Leaf: One Day I'll Be On Time.

Hoopes: About 55 gigs of music, but I have been listening to a lot of Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer.


Relient K's new album, Five Score & Seven Years Ago, is available now in the ARTISTdirect Store.