Being in the music industry for so many years, Relient K has probably seen everything. They’re Warped Tour veterans and loving every second of it. I met up with Matt Hoopes and John Warne to talk about their expectations on the tour and their artistic skills.
You guys have been on previous Warped Tours. Do you have any expectations this year?Matt: No, we kind of feel like veterans and we know what to expect, at least to a certain extent. We’re just having a good time and not taking it too seriously.
Recently, you guys put out Karaoke EP. What do you expect with the outcome of it?
Matt: We’re hoping for the best. We wanted to do a cover record for a long time now and have been talking about it for 8-10 years. We’re hoping people will enjoy it. We also have a full length version coming out in October.
How were the songs on the EP chosen? John: A lot of them were songs that we’ve been playing live. The other ones that we haven’t played live, we’ve wanted to play a cover like Tears For Fears and Tom Petty .
This year’s line up is very different from your genre of music. Any thoughts on that?
John: We’re not sure it’s any different. We always feel like a sunshine lining. There are a number of bands that are similar to us in tone. We feel like it kinda makes us stand apart.
Do you guys have any hobbies? John: Hoopes is the artistic one. He does calligraphy and has a whole Japanese thing going on. (Ed note. Both John and Matt were laughing constantly)
Describe Relient K in one word. John: Skadoosh!
Favorite pair of shoes? John: My favorite pair of shoes is probably the ones (Vans slip ons) I got on the Vans Warped Tour. I don’t have to wear socks.
Matt: I’m actually a fan of Keds.
What’s next for Relient K? John: We have some shows coming up after Warped Tour in the states. Then we’re gonna do a couple shows in Australia, we’ll be part of Soundwave. Then after that, we’ll probably focus on making more music.
These guys are full of energy and laughs. Relient K’s set consisted of songs off of their latest album Forget And Not Slow Down. They also played a few cover songs. Make sure to catch their set on this year’s Warped Tour
Check them out: www.relientk.com
Lyrically Speaking 