We recently had the chance to partner up with KAABOO Del Mar to sit down and chat with The All American Rejects, who are among other insanely talented artists to be playing the KAABOO Music Festival. Check out what the guys have to say in our exclusive interview below! Make sure to pick up your passes here.
The Vinyl: Having been in the music business for well over a decade, what changes have you seen? How did you handle moving into the digital/social media age?
Nick: When our first record came out in 2002, the band barely even had a website. THEN along came MySpace. Then Facebook and YouTube – all around the time we released “Move Along”. So we kind of had to learn the benefits of (and how to use) these platforms as we went along. And now with the birth of social media it’s kind of the same process all over again. We obviously didn’t grow up using these tools, so there’s been a bit of a learning curve for a band that’s been around as long as we have. But it’s pretty amazing how easily you can stay connected to your fans and keep them up to date on new music, tour dates, what you’re eating for breakfast, etc.
The Vinyl: You have played lots of festivals over the years, What are some essentials you always bring? Any advice for a band that might be playing their first festival?
Nick: Shower shoes! You never know what the situation is going to be when you wake up on the bus and step off into a field, and there’s not a town or hotel for miles. One time, at a festival in Italy, the shower stall was also the toilet. There was a hole in the floor to do your business, and a wooden pallet leaning against the wall that you could use to “cover” the hole and take a shower. I don’t anticipate the facilities at KABOO to be like this, but I always have a good pair of shower shoes on hand just in case!
The Vinyl: You released your single “Sweat” last year which was accompanied by “Close Your Eyes”. What was the inspiration behind the 11 minute mini-movie for “Sweat”?
Tyson: The inspiration for the “Sweat/Close Your Eyes” film started from our brilliant director Jamie Thraves. It came from a quote, and I’m remembering it loosely here; “Many shadows maketh the man”- Kierkegaard. It’s a tale of a woman (Betsy) and a man (Robert) being one in the same hero, who is not only hiding from themselves, but even going beyond that to invent every aspect of their own existence just to feel a sense of normalcy. In this time we live in where even being yourself is almost a societal Russian roulette, I felt it important to tell this story with Jamie. It represents more than just the story on the surface, but a tale of identity, expectations, and fear to see our true selves. Even more so, that we are never the same in life from one day to the next. After our second day of filming I remember looking at the director Jamie and he and I, having sent so much detailed correspondence to each other about how these characters should be, live, and breathe, we realized that we had given them all our secrets and thus, gave them both a piece of ourselves. It was important that this film was to be perceived as being both honest and resonate, and we were very grateful that it came across that way in the end. All truth in art, so long as it is true, is worth a good cup of blood.
The Vinyl: Fans are excited to see what is next from the band! What can you tell fans is next for AAR?
Nick: We’re playing a few festivals this year, including KABOO, and we’re also about to film an hour long special for Direct TV where we’ll perform songs from the span of our career and talk about what’s next for the band. Also, we’ll be celebrating our first LP’s “Sweet 16” later this fall (so be sure to check us out on social media for news on that)!
TheVinyl: With vinyl records having a comeback in the last few years, have you thought about releasing any past albums on Vinyl?
Mike: We’ve actually released all of our albums on vinyl since the beginning! But we do have some specials plans for a 16th anniversary pressing of the first record. It’s gonna be sweet and quite deluxe! Look for that in the fall.
TheVinyl: How do you go about picking a set list for a show/festival?
Nick: I usually make a set list before soundcheck and then we’ll all stand around my iPad on stage and make changes. Sometimes we’ll feel like shaking things up by throwing in a song or two we haven’t played in a while just to keep us on our toes. But we also like to take each show into consideration – the vibe of space, the audience. Sometimes there’s some audibles penciled in, maybe a couple acoustic songs, or a new one we want to play if everything is going well and everyone is having fun.
TheVinyl: Do you have any pre show rituals?
Nick: I used to be more superstitious and participate in pre-show rituals – even take time to center myself and do some yoga. But not anymore. I just make sure I get dressed in time to show up, and hopefully everything works!
Thank you The All American Rejects for taking time to answer a few questions! Make sure to catch the guys during their set at KAABOO on Sunday, September 16th! Also check out their newest video for their single Sweat below! Also get your tickets to KAABOO here: Tickets & Passes
The All American Rejects
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