Page 36 - Black Velvet Issue 94

BV94 pg36-39 aar_BV94 pg36 17/09/2017 00:54 Page 1

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Mistaken Identity

t’s been five long years since The All-American Rejects released their last album, ‘Kids In The Street’, and well over
I three years since the band were in the UK. The last couple of years have seen the members; Tyson Ritter, Nick
Wheeler, Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor, easing off the pedal, and taking more of a break to pursue other activities.
Frontman Tyson, for example, has pursued a career in acting, appearing on screens in NBC’s Parenthood and in films
such as Love And Mercy and Miss You Already. Guitarist Mike Kennerty, meanwhile, has enjoyed the time producing
music for other artists. But now, the band have just released the singles ‘Sweat’ and ‘Close Your Eyes’, two songs that fit
together to make one short film, complementing them with a tour with Dashboard Confessional in the States. The
film focuses on a man named Robert who becomes Betsy at night. It is the tale of an identity crisis – so what better
than to get in touch with Mike Kennerty and chat to him about identity – the band’s and other people’s.

THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS