How Did The All-American Rejects Come Together As A Band?

The All-American Rejects is an American pop-rock band which started in the year 1998. They are based in the city of Stillwater in the state of Oklahoma in the United States of America. The band comprises four members, namely vocalist and bassist Tyson Ritter, guitarist, keyboardist and back-up vocalist Nick Wheeler, guitarist and back-up vocalist Mike Kennerty and drummer and percussionist Chris Gaylor.

Prior to their formation in the year 1998, the members of the All-American Rejects played in two separate bands. The Drowning Fish was one of the two bands. It comprised Wheeler (then a drummer with the Drowning Fish) and guitarist Jesse Tabish. Ritter was then a vocalist with a band called the Curbside Service, and was still learning to play the guitar. Wheeler and Ritter met at a party. He informed Ritter that his band was in need of a bassist. He agreed to join them despite having never played the bass guitar in his life.

The band's name, the All-American Rejects, was a combination of the names of two other bands, the All-Americans and the Rejects. It originally comprised Wheeler, Ritter and Tabish. Tabish left the band in the year 2000, and Kennerty and Gaylor joined Wheeler and Ritter in the year 2002.