Cigar Interview: Relient K's Thiessen opens up

By: Rachel McCarty

Posted: 2/22/07

02/22/07 - In advance of Relient K's March 12 concert at the Avalon in Boston, I chatted with guitarist, pianist and vocalist Matt Thiessen. The pop-rock band has released numerous albums over the years and are going on tour to promote their latest; Five Score And Seven Years Ago.

I know you've acknowledged that after four albums the band has progressed musically. Do you feel like the fans are progressing with you?

Matt Thiessen (MT): Yeah, definitely, that's kind of something we've thought all along. We started the band when we were 19 and our fans were around that same age. And with each record we kind of progressed and I kind of feel like those kids have stuck with us. There's really a core group of people.

Do you think your faith alienates fans? Punk rock and religion have never mixed well in the past.

MT: Yeah, um, first of all we don't really consider ourselves that. We're not really punk rock, but we do have some influence. Punk rock is more of a mentality. So there's that whole thing. I feel like writing about what you believe in, as long as you're not being abrasive. I don't think people care.

I always attribute that to Green Day. Their album American Idiot is a liberal, democratic, anti-war album, but if you're a Republican finance major in the Midwest you can still like them. We've done really well so far I think with people more open minded. Just respect people for what they believe in.

Do you guys have a ritual or tradition or something you do before you play every show?

MT: No, not really. One of our guitarists makes sure he gives each one of our fists a pound and says, "Have a good show." Our drummer used to do 20 pushups before each show, but he realized it was wearing him out so he stopped. I usually wear the same shirt but not for any reason, I just don't want to get another one dirty.

Do you have a favorite venue you've played at? Any really memorable shows?

MT: Yeah, favorite shows are usually a threefold thing. My favorite city to play in is Seattle, and usually Chicago has the best crowds. Best club or venue is NorVa in Norfolk, Va.

There's definitely this whole thing with kids in New England, just that they're much more easy going and not pretentious. They're not gonna stop liking the band just because it's not trendy. New England crowds are definitely some of the best.

Do you have a favorite aspect of touring? New people, places, restaurants?

MT: I think the thing is that that we've done everything, so there's no novelty to playing anywhere anymore. It's great to see friends we've made along the way. Like if we're going to Philadelphia I know I'm gonna see a friend of mine there. It's a traveling reunion of sorts. Just meet up with your buddies.

Does everyone get along on the bus or do little fights develop?

MT: We're definitely one of the least dramatic bands. I hear stories about other bands, and the little fights they get into. We're pretty much best friends. It's almost cheesy how well we get along. If one guy wakes up and he's sick or tired you let him have some alone time.

How do you come up with set lists for each of your shows?

MT: Well you try to keep it consistent for the tour, so we make a huge list of all the songs we could play and then we whittle it down. Then we rehearse those songs a lot so they sound good. We're not one of those bands who can remember how to play every one of their songs. We have too much material for that.

We keep it to the list. That way it's less likely that we'll mess up one of our songs live. We don't usually take requests just because of that.

How do you get yourself pumped up to put on a really energetic show?

MT: I really do like sugar-free Redbull before I play. A lot of times when you do the same thing six to seven days a week, it can become slightly mundane. You play five shows and on the sixth day, it's hard to get it into your head that that show should be the same as the others. I like to pump myself up and get it into my head that it should be the best show of the week.

When you go out on stage do you still get a little nervous even after all this time?

MT: No, the only thing I'm ever nervous for is TV stuff. We can play in front of 20,000 people and I'll be fine. We're doing [Late Night With Conan O'Brien] in a couple weeks and I watch my friends when they play on Conan, and I know they sound really great live but they sound bad on the show.

Does it feel like you're playing for an audience, or does it feel more like a rehearsal to you?

MT: No, the audience is key. That's another reason why TV stuff is hard. You can't really see the audience because of the lights. I'll tell you, we played a show in Jacksonville, Fl., and the crowd was just not into it. We played a lot worse of a show and a really apathetic show. If the energy's not there, we'll sing the songs and you know, but if you have a crowd to feed off of it really helps your show. We do try to be professionals and give it our best.

It's kind of a given that you'd like a lot of people to buy your CD. What CDs do you buy?

MT: Oh I buy lots of stuff. I just bought that solo record from Dustin Kensrue. I'll buy a lot records. I got the new Of Montreal record. It depends a lot of time, because we've be touring for so long. We're doing a show with Mae and I would normally buy their CD, but they'll probably give me a copy for free. I'll buy pretty much anything though.

What music do you listen to while on tour?

MT: It floats all over the place. I have a great appreciation for where rock and roll has come from. I'm a big Beach Boys fan. And this band called the Jellyfish that I like. the Zombies, the Who. I love at lot of current stuff, a lot of bands that we've toured with or we could tour with. Jack's Mannequin is a huge favorite of mine. It's simple pop music; it's fun. Then there's this whole side of me that really likes folk and Nick Drake and stuff like that.

Do you get annoyed when a song is in heavy rotation on a radio station? Even great songs can get tiresome after a while.

MT: Oh yeah, Beyonce or whatever. Of course I'm slightly ADD and after a couple of times of hearing it, I'm over it. It's a very political world. They're required to play that song, and so they do. I like really like the Fray, but they play their songs way too much.

Are you kind of upset [radio stations] don't play your stuff more often?

MT: I don't care about any of that stuff. We love playing shows and writing and recording, but as far as radio play goes, I don't care if a thousand or a million people buy our record. If it doesn't happen I won't get personally upset about it.

Radio is very political though. We're not gonna get played on a radio station unless somebody else stops getting played. We're not gonna take Beyonce or Justin Timberlake's spot because they sell more records. Still, even if a DJ really likes your songs he can't play them because you don't have the numbers to back it up.

I know you don't like taking requests, but what are the odds I can hear "In Love With The 80s" in Boston?

MT: That's gonna be one of those that's on the fringe. We've been playing it. If you could remind me we could probably pull it out and play it. It's one of my favorites from our older stuff. The odds are probably decent if I get reminded.

Relient K is playing at the Avalon in Boston March 12.