Relient K's Formation:
The band Relient K was formed by a still teenage Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman in 1998. The name honors Matt Hoopes' car, a Plymouth Reliant K. The spelling was changed to avoid copyright infringement. The group put together a demo with the help of Mark Lee Townsend, a former guitar player for the Christian group dc Talk. The demo found its way to dc Talk member tobyMac who signed Relient K to his label Gotee Records. The band's self-titled first album appeared in the spring of 2000. The band used a wide range of pop culture references in lyrics, but also remained true to their Christian convictions.
Acceptance in the Christian Rock Community:
Relient K's next album The Anatomy of the Tongue In Cheek was released in August 2001 and became the band's first to break into the national charts. It also cemented their place among Christian rock bands. Relient K began to reveal a softer side to the band in some of the songs which gave more variety to their music as well.
Heading for the Mainstream With 'Two Lefts...':
The album Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...But Three Do appeared in 2003. It reached the top 40 of the Billboard 200 and brought the group a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Gospel album. The album enhanced Relient K's standing among both mainstream punk pop fans and their Christian rock base. In the Christmas season of 2003, the band packaged a bonus disc called Deck the Halls, Bruise Your Hand with the album. It was a collection of seasonal songs.
'Mmhmm':
In November 2004 Relient K's fourth studio album Mmhmm was released. It debuted at #15 on the album chart and consolidated the band's success. For the first time the band hit the top 40 at mainstream pop radio. Both "Be My Escape" and "Who I Am Hates Who I've Been" reached the top 40 at radio. However, the album contained sadness for the band as it became their last with founder Brian Pittman. John Warne joined as Relient K's new bassist. Mmhmm was certified gold for sales in 2005 and helped the two most recent albums to gold status as well. Mmhmm earned a Dove Award in 2006 for Christian Rock Album of the Year.
Relient K Hit the Top 10 With 'Five Score...':
With a strong wind of success at their backs, Relient K released Five Score and Seven Years Ago in March 2007. It included production by successful rock producer Howard Benson and became the band's first album to debut inside the top 10. According to lead vocalist Matt Thiessen, the title refers to it being the band's fifth album and the first time all five current members were on a record together. The seven is included because it had been seven years since the first Relient K album. Five Score and Seven Years Ago failed to generate mainstream pop singles as their previous album did.
'Forget and Not Slow Down':
In early 2009 lead singer Matt Thiessen isolated himself for three months to write songs for the sixth Relient K studio album Forget and Not Slow Down. It turned out to be a breakup album but still contained the group's typical upbeat sound. The album was released in October 2009 and debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Christian album chart. It contains a somewhat more organic sound for the band.
