in ragtime and Scott Joplin, specifically the soundtrack from The Sting. He taught himself guitar at the age of fourteen by learning to play songs by grunge bands like Silverchair and Nirvana. Thiessen does not use guitar picks while playing; he instead uses his thumb. According to Matt Hoopes, this is because he can't. Since Relient K's early days, Thiessen's main influences have been in the pop punk genre, specifically NOFX, Less Than Jake, Ghoti Hook, MxPx, and Goldfinger. He later introduced influences from Simon & Garfunkel, Ben Folds, and The Beach Boys, who he has named as his favorite band. Thiessen has claimed that after years of writing and performing pop-punk songs, he now finds writing slower music more enjoyable. He has described his Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes side project as being influenced by Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds. Guitars Though he has played several guitars throughout his career, Thiessen is best known for playing Gibson ES-335s and has also been seen playing a Gibson Tom DeLonge Signature ES-333 occasionally. Personal 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 first or second grade. 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. One of the songs the three wrote, "Long Shot", would go on to be recorded by Kelly Clarkson on her 2009 album All I Ever Wanted. Remaining on good terms with Perry, he also co-wrote "Dressin' Up from Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection. In 2008, it was announced that Thiessen proposed to Shannon Murphy, a morning radio co-host of the "Mojo in the Morning" show based in Detroit. The couple planned for an August 22, 2009 wedding. However, the engagement was terminated in December, after Murphy claimed that Thiessen had been unfaithful. Thiessen married Emily Wright on August 23, 2015 in New York City, with Matt Hoopes as his best man. They kept the engagement and marriage a secret from the public. The couple divorced in February 2018. Solo discography Studio Albums (as Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes) Compilation