Welcome back, dear reader, to Quickfire Questions.
In case you didn’t know, this is the sometimes-recurring segment of One on One whereby we convince some of our favourite artists to sit down with us for ten minutes and spit out answers to as many questions as we can possibly squeeze into that oh-so-short period of time.
And for this piece, we’re joined by alt-rock legends, The All-American Rejects.
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In case it’s slipped your mind, these guys were responsible for some of the biggest alt-rock and pop-rock songs of the Noughties.
Classics like Move Along, Gives You Hell, and Swing, Swing were the soundtrack to countless alternative club nights, house parties, and long car rides – and now, ten years after their last UK shows, they were back to sub-headline Slam Dunk Festival.
We caught up with the guys backstage to chat about their extended touring hiatus, the joys of touring, and the wonders of the new IDLES record.
How are you guys doing? It’s been a long time since your last UK show. How are you feeling?
The All-American Reject(s): Great! It’s been ten years to the day since our last show here. It’s taken us a while, but I just needed to crave Indian food again. We had some last night, and it was fantastic.
How have you seen the influence of the music scene you helped start over the past ten years play out over the last decade?
Reject 1: I think our name has been both a curse and a blessing. Today, it just feels like we’re at a festival, and we got here. We don’t even know who’s playing, but it all feels good. Everything is as it should be, even with this crazy weather.
You’ve mentioned before that you’re not sure if you’ll make another full-length album. Do you think the full-length album is still relevant today?
Reject 1: I would like it to be, but we don’t know what we’re doing yet. We’re making something, but it might not even be music. It could be pottery, but we’ll still call it the All-American Rejects. It might not be new music, but we’re just making something.
Reject 2: Yeah, it could be anything, like mincemeat pie.
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What are you guys into nowadays? What do you listen to, read, or watch?
Reject 2: I’m really into the new IDLES record. It’s amazing.
Reject 1: I’m into my family. And movies. There’s a lot of watching happening on tour. I’m happy I don’t have to bring a big book of DVDs anymore.
It must be great to see new fans at your shows who weren’t around the first time losing their minds to your music.
Reject 1: We haven’t seen this show yet, but playing last summer on the Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour with New Found Glory was a huge wake-up call for us.
When you’re writing new stuff, how do you decide what goes into which project?
Reject 2: It depends on what we’re doing at the moment. When we get together to make stuff, we focus on that. At home, we do other things.
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What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Reject 1: We have a few festival dates. This year is mostly about festivals and getting some fresh air.
How has the festival culture changed in America over the last 20 years compared to the UK?
Reject 2: Culturally, there’s a festival for everything now in America. It used to be just Coachella, but now there are festivals for every genre. It’s a beautiful thing.
One last question: if you had one last All-American Rejects gig and you had a one-song setlist, which song would you play?
Reject 1: I think it would be appropriate to play our song, “The Last Song”.
Reject 3: Or maybe “Happy Endings” from the same album. It would be a great opportunity.