 (Left to right) Brian Pittman, Matt Thiessen, David Douglas, and Matt Hoopes Relient K is a Christian pop punk band that was formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio. The band was named after Matt Hoopes's Plymouth Reliant K Car.
In the same manner as MxPx, Relient K is currently signed to both Gotee Records and Capitol Records.
Members
Evolution of Sound
Relient K released their self-titled album in 2000 on the Gotee Records. A large backer of the group was dc Talk's Toby Mac, Gotee's founder. Relient K's first album was distinctly pop punk. Their songs were hummable and memorable for their pop-culture references and catchy guitars.
In 2001, the band released their second album. The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek. This album launched both Relient K and their sound to a whole new level. Many Christian rock bands release a so-so debut album and then die out. This was not so with Relient K. This new album kept everything that made their first album good and improved upon the band's weaknesses. There were still plenty of pop-culture references and hummable lyrics to be found on this album, which is evident in the hit single "Sadie Hawkins Dance." Matt Thiessen's vocals improved immensely. Coupled with his improved song writing skills, Thiessen had become a much better musician. This album contained many more softer songs and slightly lighter guitars. Relient K added an interesting feauture to this album that would follow them onto their other projects: They would continue chords through tracks in order to fluidly transition in between songs.
Their second album landed them in the Christian rock limelight, as they were then asked to do their rendition of the popular VeggieTales song "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" for the 2002 VeggieTales movie Jonah. This song has a distinctive sound that, as one might expect, is the exact median between the sounds of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do.
In 2003, Relient K released their third album: Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do. This seemed to be the album that could put Relient K into the secular spotlight just as Switchfoot would eventually do. Perhaps the largest reason for this speculation was the fact that Best Buy agreed to sell their album. Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do had four different covers of different colors, each depicting a car in some kind of wreck. This album felt half an octave lower than all their previous ones. As pop-culture references became less specific, sound and vocals became far more defined. Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do combined the soft, meaningful songs of The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek and threw in fast-paced songs with deep lyrics.
Since this album was released in March of 2003, Relient K released a bonus disc for Christmas, entitled Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand. It contained about half as many tracks as one of their normal albums but boosted their sales nonetheless.
In late 2004, the group released their long-expected fourth album: Mmhmm. Pop-culture references were even less specific than on their third album, if not nonexistent. The album was significantly more on the serious side with very few of the silly songs the band was known for. It also was much more piano-driven in parts (including an entire song, "Let It All Out").
Pittman departs
In 2004, it was announced that bassist Brian Pittman was leaving the group to start a landscaping company. His departure came after recording for Mmhmm had been completed.
Discography
External links
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