"Not
Your Average Reject"
credit: annlouise blanc
Pop-punk/alternative
rock band, The American Rejects, arose out of Stillwater, Oklahoma. Front-man
Tyson Ritter, and guitarist Nick Wheeler launched the band in 1999 while in
high-school, and released the EP Same
Girl, New Songs in the summer of 2001. At the time, they were joined by
drummer Tim Campbell, but he left the group later that year due to tensions
within the band. The year 2002 brought on two new members, Chris Gaylor and Mike Kennerty, and their
debut self-titled album, The All-American Rejects, on October 15th.
The single from that album, "Swing-Swing", catapulted them into commercial
success, and their debut album sold over one million records. The band
continued to tour around the country, which expanded their extensive fan base,
and funneled them directly into the mainstream pop world.
Move Along, AAR's second album, was released in
2005, and featured several smash hits, including, "It Ends Tonight", "Dirty
Little Secret", and the album's theme song, "Move Along". The Southern Boys
pride themselves on remaining humble despite their success, and claim that
their fame has not led them to adapt an "L.A. lifestyle" - three of the band
members still reside in Oklahoma. Perhaps it is that separation that keeps
their music creatively sound and appealing to the masses. Instead of creating a
rift amongst the group members, fame has instead brought them together, as they
are working towards a common goal: delivering great music to their fans.
The
Rejects have recognized the need to buckle down creatively, and challenge
themselves in their upcoming artistic projects. Guitarist Nick Wheeler talked
about how the road to producing their third album, When the World Comes Down, has been anything but smooth-sailing. "After
the success of 'Move Along', we felt an innate need to challenge ourselves
to grow. And to challenge our fans to grow with us. On the last record, all the
songs were there before we even entered the studio. We were completely
rehearsed. We just had to show up, play the parts, producer Howard Benson
pushed the buttons and in six weeks, we were done. This LP is where we're at as
people, not just artists, here and now. That's why we took the bus trips and
locked ourselves away in remote cabins to recreate this sense of torture like
we had in the past before we sold any records."
The
overnight cabin stays, bus trips, and the recreation of a "torturous" atmosphere contributed to their artistic genius and the creation of several of
the tracks in When the World Comes Down. "'Breakin' came out of the bus
ride," says Ty. "I wrote the chorus at Eric's studio but after several weeks of
basic tracking, I had a meltdown and became totally claustrophobic; lost my
touch. Was going soft on everything, like falling into this vortex, grabbing things on my way down.
I was depressed and worse, afraid to just let go; certain doom to an artist. So
Nick and me got in a bus and just headed east on Interstate 10 to wherever we
felt like cruising. And 'Breakin' came together along the way, just me and Nick
in the back of the bus, figuring shit out, chords, verses. The song is so
different for us. It's different and weird."
When the World Comes Down was released in December of 2008, and
AAR has performed several of the tracks in tours and festivals across the
country. The song "Real World" Is featured on the hit movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
soundtrack. The band wanted this record to mean more than just continued
success for them - they really wanted to reach their fans. "In the end, we're
just a band, close friends, who care deeply about what we do. When the bullshit
eventually dies, love survives. I'm no rock star or hometown hero. I'm just a
nobody," insists Ty. It is this humble approach to music that keeps The Rejects
connected to their fans, and allows them to continue to put out great music.
