The All-American Rejects was formed in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1999. The current lineup includes Tyson Ritter (bassist and vocalist), Nick Wheeler (guitar player and back vocalist), Mike Kennerty (rhythm guitarist and back vocalist), and Chris Gaylor (drummer). Tyson and Nick are also songwriters, while Wheeler is a composer.
The band appeared when Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter were still in high school. Later, when the band was on the peak of its popularity Tyson explained that there is no deep meaning in the name The All-American Rejects. It simply sounded cool at the time.
In 2000, the band released a demo album, The All-American Rejects. They got assistance from Alice Ben from Half-A-Cup Entertainment. The demo didn’t become as popular as expected, but the artists didn’t give up.
In 2001, Ritter and Wheeler released an EP, Same Girl, New Songs, which featured five tracks. Soon, it was noticed by Doghouse Records. The label offered the group a contract, and musicians readily agreed.
With the assistance of the producer Tim O’Heir, the band released its debut LP, The All-American Rejects in 2003. The lead single “Swing, Swing’ came out in 2002. The album went platinum. The group started looking for new musicians for live performances. At that time, many organizers tried to book The All-American Rejects for private events.