The All-American Rejects

Rock group

The All-American Rejects are a prime example of the all-American dream. A band started out by teenagers, The All-American Rejects were MTV darlings and multi-platinum artists by the release of their second major-label album in 2005. Of course, it was no quick ride to the top; the quartet struggled on an independent before signing to a major label and struggled to avoid becoming a one-hit wonder. A few years out of the spotlight, The All-American Rejects returned in 2005 with an album that struck at the perfect time. Young, good-looking, and with pop songs that stick in your head, The All-American Rejects perfected their brand of emotional power-pop with just a touch of attitude by creating a unique sound that uses electronic programming and multi-tracked vocals in pop songs with arena-sized hooks.

Singer/bassist Tyson Ritter and guitarist Nick Wheeler formed The All-American Rejects in 1998. The under-aged duo often brought their guitars and keyboards (with synthesized drum beats) into local Stillwater, Oklahoma, bars to perform for patrons who hardly cared. Stillwater was a small town with little to do besides fishing or go-karting. Both Ritter and Wheeler learned to play guitar at very young ages and in high school, Ritter could often be found performing in school musicals. Influenced by '80s arena pop-rock bands like Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, Wheeler and Ritter formed a quick bond and began to write and perform songs together leading to a self-recorded demo/EP called Same Girl, New Songs that they sold at their shows in the summer of 2001.

Ritter and Wheeler's demo found its way into the hands of Ohio-based independent record label Doghouse Records (home to The Get Up Kids). The small, but influential label signed the duo up and sent them to New York City in the spring of 2002 to record their full-length album with producer Tim O'Heir (Sebadoh, Superdrag). Because Ritter and Wheeler were used to being a duo, they recorded the same way. Wheeler played drums and guitars while Ritter played bass and sang. O'Heir put multi-tracked vocals to make the songs sound bigger and the crunchy guitar parts were surrounded by synthesizers and drum machines. Instead of sounding artificial though, it sounded as if there was a full band, even though a lot of the sounds, including strings, were made by Wheeler's keyboard.

After recording the album, the duo decided to fill out the band and hired on guitarist Mike Kennerty and drummer Chris Gaylor to tour behind the October 2002 release of their self-titled debut. The tracks on The All-American Rejects were generally about teenage love gone wrong or, "Puppy love," Ritter admitted to Entertainment Weekly's Carina Chocano. "It hits your hard. I had a bad run. But it helped me write some good songs." The catchy songs and pin-up good looks of the band caught interest from DreamWorks Records who enticed the indie band to their label. The band could hardly say no; DreamWorks re-released The All-American Rejects as is. When the album was re-released in February 2003, it debuted on Billboard at 25; the band immediately went out and got All-American Rejects tattoos to commemorate their achievement.

The infectious single "Swing Swing," a swoon-worthy power-pop song written about a teenage ex-girlfriend of Tyson's, launched the band's success. "At its best moments, it rocks like Blink-182 without the snide attitude and rolls like AC/DC if they listened to more Weezer," wrote VH1.com's Gil Kaufman about The All-American Rejects, a disc that soon went platinum. While "Swing Swing" got serious airplay and sent the band on a non-stop touring schedule, their other singles failed to chart. The group managed to play some high-profile concerts, including an MTV Spring Break special alongside Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, and Sum 41. To close out 2003, The All-American Rejects released Live From Oklahoma … The Too Bad for Hell DVD.

Late in 2003, DreamWorks Records folded and left many bands in the cold, The All-American Rejects were lucky enough to stay in the playing field and got picked up by Interscope. To begin work on their anticipated sophomore album, Wheeler and Ritter relocated to Florida for almost a year to work on new songs. While Wheeler worked out sounds in his home studio, Ritter wrote most of his lyrics at the beach. The pair hooked up with their band mates recorded and handed in 10 songs to Interscope who promptly turned them down and asked them to start all over again. Apparently the song subjects were too dark for Interscope, not bouncy enough, so the label sent the band back to the drawing board. The entire band eventually went to Atlanta and for six weeks did nothing but work on a new batch of songs. Once the band and the label felt comfortable with the new songs, they went to L.A. in the winter of 2004 to record their new album with producer Howard Benson. For their new album everything was bigger and more authentic than their debut. With a full band to record, the band went to Bay Seven Studios in Valley Village, California for seven weeks to record their sophomore album Move Along.

For The Record …

Members include Chris Gaylor, drums; Mike Kennerty, guitar; Tyson Ritter, vocals, bass; Nick Wheeler, guitar.

Group formed in Stillwater, OK, c. 1999; duo of Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler recorded and self-released demo, Same Girl, New Songs, 2001; signed to Doghouse Records, released The All-American Rejects, 2002; Chris Gaylor and Mike Kennerty joined, 2002; signed to DreamWorks record, re-released The All-American Rejects, 2003; signd to Interscope, released Move Along, 2005.

Addresses: Record company—Interscope, 2220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Website—The All-American Rejects Official Website: http://www.allamericanrejects.com.

"The change was natural; it was where we needed to take this band," Ritter told MTV.com's James Montgomery. "This was the record where we had to bring all we had, because if it tanked we're screwed. So we don't have any regrets about anything on this record, and we're so proud of it. We had to step it up, and we did." With a second guitarist and drummer, Move Along was bigger than the two-piece on The All-American Rejects in every sense. Vocals were still multi-tracked and electronic programming was still used, but with Kennerty and Gaylor on board, along with producer Benson, every song sounded larger than life; an 18-piece orchestra was even brought in.

The All-American Rejects were set for stardom for a second time, when Interscope released their new single "Dirty Little Secret." "Three minutes of over-the-top guitar frippery and an Ebola-catchy chorus," wrote Montgomery about the band's first single. In the summer of 2005 Move Along hit stores, hitting number six on the Billboard 200. "With their likable, hook-heavy punk-pop and youthful energy that practically leaps off the CD, there is little to reject about their second set," wrote People's Chuck Arnold. The band's popularity really hit a new level in early 2006 when their second single, "Move Along," debuted on MTV's TRL and remained there for weeks. In March, The All-American Rejects began a massive U.S. tour with like-minded group Fall Out Boy. "When we made the first album, we had barely been on the road ever," Wheeler told MTV.com. "And from the minute the first album was finished, the second album started. [Move Along is about] the time from that point until the minute we entered the studio to record [it]. We've just grown that much as a band."

Selected discography

Same Girl, New Songs, self released, 2001.
The All-American Rejects, Doghouse Records, 2002, reissued, DreamWorks, 2003.
Live From Oklahoma … The Too Bad for Hell (DVD), DreamWorks, 2003.
Move Along, Interscope, 2005.

Sources

Periodicals

Entertainment Weekly, April 11, 2003.

People, August 8, 2005.

Real Detroit Weekly, June 21, 2006.

Online

"All-American Rejects 'Had to Step it Up' on New LP—Or Else," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1501799/20050513/story.jhtml (June 25, 2006).

"All-American Rejects: Red, White, and So, So Blue," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458980/20021204/story.jhtml (June 25, 2006).

"All-American Rejects: Swinging to the Top", VH1.com, http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1471948/05192003/allamerican_rejects.jhtml (June 25, 2006).

Interscope Official Website, http://www.umusic.ca/theall-americanrejects/#info (June 25, 2006).