The All-American Rejects' Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler spoke at Billboard House during SXSW about their upcoming album Sandbox and the success of their backyard tour. The band shared insights on shifting to an independent model after years with a major label. They emphasized focusing on musical growth rather than recreating past hits.
On March 13, 2026, The All-American Rejects members Tyson Ritter and Nick Wheeler visited Billboard House at SXSW for a conversation with Billboard co-chief content officer Jason Lipshutz. The discussion covered the band's transition to independence, their viral backyard tour, and their first album in nearly 14 years, Sandbox, set for release on May 15, 2026.
The backyard tour, also referred to as the House Party tour, originated from an idea by their manager, Meghan Kraemer. Clips from the performances spread widely on social media, evoking nostalgia and strengthening band bonds. Ritter described the experience: “While we were in the belly of that beast, when we were a week in and it was popping off, it felt like we were holding the tail of the dragon, man. Those shows were the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of, let alone been to, let alone performed in.” He added that the tour felt reminiscent of their early shows in Oklahoma.
After dominating the 2000s with Interscope Records, the band pursued independence due to lack of interest from labels. Ritter explained, “Nobody wanted to touch us. Nobody wanted to really roll the dice on us as far as new music is concerned, including the management we had at the time. Independence was what we had to do to continue the story of this band.”
For Sandbox, the first album since 2012, Ritter and Wheeler aimed to advance their artistry. Ritter expressed concern about stagnation: “My fear for this band was can we grow together musically? The last thing we wanted to do was reach into some bag and be like, ‘Cool, this looks just like it used to and sounds like it used to, let’s go make a transactional experience for our fans of the lackluster watered-down concentrate of the juice they were drinking 20 years ago.' I’m happy I believe in what we’re doing.” Wheeler agreed, stating, “That’s the only reason we’re doing it. We would’ve been happy to ride off into the sunset and play state fairs and casinos. We always said we wouldn’t even attempt this again unless we really wanted to and we were excited about it and wanted to challenge ourselves again.”
The interview also touched on longevity in modern rock and advice for emerging artists to find creative promotion methods.