Into the Time Capsule: Relying on Relient K
Written by Brighton Bischofberger
As I sat trying to come up with a new blog idea, I decided to take my mind off the procrastination with some classic video games. With that, my brother and I fired the Xbox and went to some of retro titles we often play (for the nostalgia obviously). One of our favorites was MX Unleashed, an action sports/racing game that basically fulfilled any young kids fantasy of riding dirt bikes in the X Games. Not to be forgotten, their soundtrack was basically a Mid-2000’s Rock/Metal Starter Pack. The time where Breaking Benjamin, Hoobastank, Saosin, and Rise Against ruled the airwaves. The whole series had some huge scene connections as bands like NOFX, Bad Religion, and The Used all made appearances on the various soundtracks throughout the series. However my favorite (and the focus of this article) is on one band in particular. Relient K!
Yes that Relient K. The quirky, comical, and lighthearted Pop Punk band. Most would remember them from either ‘Sadie Hawkins Dance’ or the ‘Be My Escape’. I always remember them from an anti-drug PSA video we saw in health class, which yeah was a bit cringe, but hey, it was exposure. Anyway, they were a pretty big band at one point in time and still reign as one of my personal favorites. I absolutely believe that this band had a big impact on growing the scene and I’m fully prepared to explain why. Let’s dive in!
Relient K was formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio as a project between Matt Thiessen (Vocals, Guitar), Matthew Hoopes (Guitar), Brian Pittman (Bass), and Stephen Cushman (Drums). They released their self-titled album in 2000 and from the get go, their ability to craft witty lyrics with catchy and youthful pop punk was on full display. Their next release The Anatomy of Tongue in Cheek (2001) was met with even better success selling over 500,000 units and peaked at No. 158 on the Billboard 200. It may also may take the award for most song title puns in an entire album. ‘Maybe its Maybeline’, ‘I’m Lion-O’, ‘Breakfast at Timpani’s’ and ‘May the Horse Be with You’ may take the cake in wacky song title names. This album also had the teenage anthem ‘Sadie Hawkins Dance’ which might be the purest form of Relient K nostalgia.
The next two albums would be the bands peak in terms of scene relevancy and propel to higher levels of recognition. Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right, but Three Do featured solid tracks like ‘Chap Stick, Chapped Lips, and Things Like Chemistry’, ‘Pink Tux (In Love With the 80’s)’, and ‘College Kids’. Alongside of their typical humor and catchy melodies, it also showcased their ability to write a ballad with ‘Getting into You’. The song weaves through introspection and self-awareness with gorgeous acoustic work. The band also saw highs with MhMMM as it not only went Gold with over 500,000 units sold, but also ended up selling over 800,000 copies in the U.S as well. This album is probably their best pop punk offering and really tied together their song crafting abilities. ‘Be My Escape’, ‘High of 75’, and ‘Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been’ are all excellent pop punk offerings that are easily some of the best in their entire catalogue. These songs still contain a bit of the charm that made Relient K so likeable in the beginning, but also showed off a more mature edge. All three of these songs dealt with much more serious themes like Depression, Spirituality, and Self-Reflection. It wasn’t the first time the band had touched on these subjects, but it was one of the first times they really tied it all together.
The band continued this blend of growth on Five Score and Seven Years Ago. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and sold fairly well despite mix reception from critics. This was pretty much the last pop punk release for the band as they started to head into a more Pop Rock/Alternative direction. This wasn’t a bad thing however as Forget and Not Slow Down (2009) and Collapsible Lung (2013) are both solid albums that showcased Relient K’s more mellow tendencies. 2016’s Air for Free had some very up-tempo tracks like “Mountain Top” and showed that the band could still provide some of the energy their earlier releases did.
I think that’s the thing that has impressed me most about Relient K as a band. For so long, a lot of people have written them off as “That silly Christian Punk band” which is a totally fair assessment. I’m the first to joke that, “Relient K is the band parents who didn’t like blink-182 let their kids listen to”. Not to mention they also did a song for the religious cartoon series Veggietales (to be fair “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” bops). Lead Singer Matt Thiessen has always been pretty upfront about his faith in their lyrics and the band has been marketed heavily on Christian Radio throughout their career. I’m not overtly religious by any means, but I have never felt that they were very preachy about their lyrics and I believe they have always done a great job at writing songs that people can relate to whether they are religious are not. Take it from one of their biggest songs “Be My Escape”.
There are definitely religious undertones present as this song mainly talks about the narrator’s battles with his own self-doubt and how he realizes God can be the one to help guide him to redemption. However, messages of redemption, forgiveness, and reflection are not exclusive to religion. They are things that we can use and learn in our lives every day. These are common themes that all of us can relate to and themes that are prevalent in a lot of Relient K’s music.
However, I also get that maybe their lyrics just weren’t for you, or you didn’t really like the whole tongue in cheek pop punk scene and that’s all good! Not everyone has to like the same music. My point with all of this is that as a kid who grew up in a somewhat conservative household and didn’t always have the same exposure to the punk/metal bands of that era, Relient K was huge for me. They familiarized me with similar bands and sounds in the scene and I may not have listened to other bands in the pop punk genre without listening to Relient K first. Maybe they weren’t the biggest band of that era and weren’t game changers like All Time Low, New Found Glory, and blink-182, but they didn’t have to be. They played a huge role in my musical development and I know there are others who share the same story.
To be honest, this band has kinda done it all. From Christmas Albums (Let it Snow Baby… Let it Raindeer) to Cover Songs (K is For Karaoke Pts 1-2) and even a Halloween EP (The Creepier EP), they’ve continued to put out solid efforts and try new things. That doesn’t mean that every song has been a hit. In fact, most people probably don’t even remember them and yet after 20 years as a band, they’re still plugging along and doing their thing. I think the coolest thing about our scene is there are so many bands that have played huge roles in developing our scene and helping it grow and a lot of these bands aren’t ones that you would normally think of right off the bat. That’s the beauty of it though, no matter the size, every band plays a role in their own unique way and I hope I opened your eyes to what this band in particular has done.
Brighton’s Favorite Tracks:
Forget and Not Slow Down
College Kids
Sadie Hawkins Dance
Mountaintop
Savannah
Therapy
Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been
Be My Escape
High of 75