Outside of his work with Relient K, Thiessen leads a side project called Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, which released its debut album Wind Up Bird on August 31,2018.
15 Facts About Matt Thiessen
2.
Matt Thiessen has served as co-producer on several occasions as well.
3.
In 2010, after the release and supporting tour of Forget and Not Slow Down, Matt Thiessen announced that he would begin work on a full-length solo album.
4.
In June 2018, Thiessen announced that his debut album under Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes, Wind Up Bird, would release later that summer.
5.
Matt Thiessen later contributed songwriting and vocals to the Switchfoot release "Rebuild" in 2007, in conjunction for the Appetite for Construction Tour.
6.
Matt Thiessen continues to work with Owl City's Adam Young and contributes vocals to "Plant Life", a song on the album, "All Things Bright and Beautiful".
7.
Matt Thiessen co-wrote "Good Time" with Owl City and Brian Lee.
8.
Matt Thiessen has made guest contributions on a number of releases with other artists, including Blackbear, John Reuben, tobyMac and The Fold.
9.
Matt 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.
10.
Matt Thiessen taught himself guitar at the age of fourteen by learning to play songs by grunge bands like Silverchair and Nirvana.
11.
Matt Thiessen has claimed that after years of writing and performing pop-punk songs, he now finds writing slower music more enjoyable.
12.
Matt Thiessen has described his Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes side project as being influenced by Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds.
13.
Matt Thiessen's parents divorced when he was six years old and living in Stevensville, Ontario.
14.
Matt Thiessen dated future pop star Katy Perry for a time from 2003 until 2005, and wrote several songs with her and Glen Ballard during her early recording sessions.
15.
In 2008, it was announced that Matt Thiessen proposed to Shannon Murphy, a morning radio co-host of the "Mojo in the Morning" show based in Detroit.