Nick Wheeler: Well, it definitely sounds like us. I guess if you listen to the three records, you can definitely hear a progression. So the same way the first two records are different, the third one will probably be the same. We’re three, four years older now; we’ve seen a lot more of the world and experienced a lot more. Each time there’s more to draw from and more to say.

What were you able to draw from this time that you weren’t able to before?

Wheeler: With our first record, we were 16, 17 years old, and there’s definitely one thing on your mind—girls. The second time you start to live a little bit, you’re a little older, there’s more to talk about. This time I think it’s even more so, especially with just the process of making this record and all these interesting situations we’ve put ourselves in, ’cause we can.

What were some of those?

Wheeler: It was like, "We’re gonna write—we just don’t want to sit at home, though. Let’s drive up to the mountains and get a cabin, just ’cause we can. Let’s fly to San Francisco and stay in Haight-Ashbury and see what happens. Let’s go to Vancouver..." There’s a lot to draw from all those particular situations, and it definitely shows on the record because our job is to capture all these feelings and all these emotions.

What’s your long view on All-American Rejects now? Where do you think the group fits?

Wheeler: Well, we’ve always thought of ourselves as a career band, and we’re not going anywhere. When we started, we wanted to rule the world, but when you get a little bit of success you can’t say that ’cause you come across like an a**hole. But when we first came out, there was a Yellowcard and a Good Charlotte and we kinda got lumped into that category and were on the back burner of this little movement that was going on. Then we made a second record and all those bands went away and then your Fall Out Boys came out and, again, we just got put on the back burner and lumped in with that whole group. So now we’re coming back with a third record and we’re making sure it’s the best thing we’ve done, and I think this time it’s our turn to be on the front burner, and to stay there. That’s our goal, at least.