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Revision as of 18:45, 25 November 2010

Matt Thiessen

Matthew Arnold Thiessen (born August 12, 1980) is a Canadian-American musician, known for being co-founder, lead singer, guitarist, pianist, and primary songwriter for the Christian rock band Relient K. With Relient K, he has released six full-length albums, including three that were certified Gold, and three that peaked in the top twenty on the Billboard 200. Outside of his work with Relient K, Thiessen maintains a low-profile side project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. In 2009, he co-produced and collaborated on Owl City's chart-topping album Ocean Eyes.

Early life

Thiessen was born in St. Catharines, Ontario. His parents divorced when he was six years old and living in Stevensville, Ontario. Later, his mother remarried and the family moved to Bolivar, Ohio, where he met and befriended future bandmates Matt Hoopes and Brian Pittman. The three have said that they have known each other since the first or second grade.[1]

Musical career

Thiessen performing with Relient K in 2006.

Relient K

Main article: Relient K

Thiessen founded Relient K in 1998, with guitarist Matt Hoopes, and bassist Brian Pittman,[2] and recorded the demo All Work & No Play the same year. The recording attracted the interest of Toby McKeehan who signed the band to his label Gotee Records. Between the years 2000 and 2003, Gotee released three full-length albums, one Christmas album, and four EPs with Relient K. In 2004, their fourth album Mmhmm was released on both Capitol Records and Gotee, and peaked at number fifteen on the Billboard 200.[3] After recording another EP in 2005, Mmhmm and Two Lefts Don't Make a Right...but Three Do, their 2003 album, were certified gold, followed by their 2001 album The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek in 2006.[4] In 2007, Gotee, Capitol, and EMI released Relient K's fifth studio album, Five Score and Seven Years Ago, which peaked at number six on the Billboard 200.[3] After the release of the double EP The Bird and the Bee Sides in 2008, the band signed with Gotee's Mono Vs. Stereo imprint, on which they released their sixth studio album, Forget and Not Slow Down, again reaching the top twenty of the Billboard 200.[3] Thiessen and the other members of Relient K have taken up A&R positions for the label as part of the record deal.[5]

For all of Relient K's history, Thiessen has been the lead vocalist, frontman, guitarist, primary songwriter, and sometime co-producer. Because of this position of musical leader, he maintains the most creative and artistic control of the band members.[6] He has also been credited with piano in most releases, beginning with The Anatomy of the Tongue in Cheek in 2001. Since the release of Mmhmm in 2004, his piano playing started becoming more prominent, and he began including a piano onstage as well.[7]

Solo projects and collaborations

In addition to being in Relient K, Thiessen plays in his own solo piano project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. The project has released a total of five songs on various samplers and compilation albums from Gotee and Mono Vs. Stereo, and several songs written for the project have been re-recorded on Relient K releases. In 2010, after the release and supporting tour of Forget and Not Slow Down, Thiessen announced that he would begin work on a full length solo album.[8] Although he had previously expressed interest in recording a studio release, he had placed his priority on Relient K, and relegated his solo work to his free time.[6]

Thiessen has occasionally collaborated with Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. After initial interest in recording vocals for a Switchfoot song, it instead worked out for Foreman to contribute vocals for the Relient K song "Deathbed" from Five Score and Seven Years Ago.[9] He later contributed songwriting and vocals to the Switchfoot release "Rebuild" in 2007, in conjunction for the Appetite for Construction Tour.

In 2009, he contributed vocals, songwriting, and production to Owl City's major-label debut Ocean Eyes, which has sold over 180,000 copies worldwide and reached the top ten on the Billboard 200.[10] Lead single "Fireflies" reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in late October.[11] Thiessen has also made guest contributions on a number of releases with other artists, including tobyMac and The Fold.

Musical style and influences

Thiessen has received piano lessons since he was seven years old, with early interests in ragtime and Scott Joplin, specifically the soundtrack from The Sting. He taught himself guitar as a teenager by learning to play songs by grunge bands like Silverchair and Nirvana. Since Relient K's early days, Thiessen's main influences have been in the pop punk genre,[7] specifically NOFX, Less Than Jake, Ghoti Hook, MxPx,[6] and Goldfinger.[12] He later introduced influences from Simon & Garfunkel, Ben Folds, and The Beach Boys,[7] who he has named as his favorite band.[6] Thiessen has claimed that after years of writing and performing pop-punk songs, he now finds writing slower music more enjoyable.[12] He has described his Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes side project as being influenced by Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds.[7]

Personal life

In 2008, it was announced that Thiessen proposed to Shannon Murphy, a morning radio host, and the couple planned for an August 22, 2009 wedding.[13] However, the engagement was terminated in December, after Murphy claimed that Thiessen had cheated on her.[14][15]

Solo discography

See also: Relient K discography

Compilation appearances (as Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes)

Year Album Song(s) Label(s)
2001 Happy Christmas, Vol. 3 "I Hate Christmas Parties" Gotee Records
2003 The Revolution Will Begin in the Blink of an Eye, Vol. 1 "Poison Ivy" Mono Vs. Stereo
2005 The Revolution Will Begin in the Blink of an Eye, Vol. 2 "The Calendar, The Energy (If This Is You Then Woe Is Me)" Mono Vs. Stereo
2006 My Other Band, Vol. 1 "The Calendar, The Energy (If This Is You Then Woe Is Me)"
"The Warmth of the Sun"
"Faking My Own Suicide" (Demo) 		Mono Vs. Stereo

Collaborations

Year Collaborator(s) Contribution[16] Song(s) Album
2004 Everyday Sunday backing vocals "The One" Anthems for the Imperfect
2005 The Wedding backing vocals "But a Breath" The Wedding
John Reuben vocals "Nuisance" The Boy Vs. the Cynic
2006 The Fold backing vocals "I Believe You" This Too Shall Pass
2007 Switchfoot songwriting, vocals "Rebuild"
2008 Family Force 5 remixing[17] "The First Time" Dance or Die with a Vengeance
Rookie of the Year piano
vocals 		all tracks
"Danger Zone" 		Sweet Attention
Ace Enders and a Million Different People vocals "Bittersweet Symphony" Bittersweet Symphony - Single
The Media Says piano "Summer Lovin'"
"Keep Falling Down" 		Forgive Us If We Make You Smile - EP
Ellington piano
vocals 		all tracks
"In A Lonely Place" 		More Like a Movie, Less Like Real Life
2009 Kelly Clarkson
(with Katy Perry and Glen Ballard) 		songwriting "Long Shot" All I Ever Wanted
Owl City songwriting, production, vocals "Cave In"
"Fireflies"
"Tidal Wave"
"The Bird and the Worm" 		Ocean Eyes
Deas Vail vocals "Birds" Birds & Cages
2010 TobyMac vocals[18] "Wonderin" Tonight
Rookie of the Year piano "Bizarre Love Triangle" The Most Beautiful

References

  1. ^ Mansfield, Brian (29 November 2004). "Can this punk-pop band make it big? 'Mmhmm'". USA Today. Retrieved 30 April 2007. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ Steve, Huey. "Relient K > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 11 August 2008.
  3. ^ a b c "Relient K Album & Song Chart History". Billboard.com. Retrieved 17 November 2009.
  4. ^ "Gold & Platinum Album Search Results: Relient K". RIAA. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  5. ^ "Relient K signs with Mono Vs. Stereo". House of Heroes. Jesus Freak Hideout. 23 March 2009. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d Farias, Andree (2 May 2005). "We're Not Goofballs". ChristianMusicToday.com. Christianity Today. Retrieved 26 October 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d Zulaica, Don (27 January 2005). "liveDaily Interview: Matt Thiessen of Relient K". liveDaily. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  8. ^ Thiessen, Matthew (19 July 2010). "Let the solo record begin. :)". Twitter. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  9. ^ DiBiase, John (10 March 2007). "Looking Back...and Into the Future!". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved 2 April 2007.
  10. ^ "Ocean Eyes - Owl City". Billboard.com. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  11. ^ Pietroluongo, Silvio (29 October 2009), Owl City's 'Fireflies' Lands at No. 1 on Hot 100, Billboard.com, retrieved 12 November 2009
  12. ^ a b Smith, Bethany (24 June 2008), Interview with: Matt Thiessen, Relient K, PopWreckoning, retrieved 12 November 2009
  13. ^ Miller, Rodney (7 August 2008). "Relient K's Matt Thiessen Has Found "The Best Thing" A Wife". StereoTruth.net. Retrieved 4 December 2009.
  14. ^ Blum, Andrea (14 August 2009). "On the mike". The News Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Nunez, Jessica (12 August 2009). "Podcast: 'Mojo in the Morning Show' host Shannon Murphy talks about past relationship troubles". MLive.com. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  16. ^ "Matthew Thiessen: Credits". Allmusic Guide. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  17. ^ "Matt Thiessen: Credits". Allmusic Guide. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  18. ^ "Tobymac: Tonight". MusiChristian.com. Retrieved 5 December 2009.

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