I was but an impressionable teenager (not impressionable enough to buy clothing from Hot Topic, I ought to point out) in middle school when I bought All-American Rejects’ self-titled 2003 debut.

 At that time, actually talking to the power-poppers, even via a medium as anonymous and impersonal as the Internet, never seemed much of a possibility, so getting a couple of questions answered by guitarist Nick Wheeler is quite a career highlight, even if my tastes in music have progressed a little ways beyond mall-pop nearly 10 years later.

That said, the first single from AAR’s forthcoming “Kids in the Street” (release date TBA) is “Beekeeper’s Daughter,” which is pretty much only available on that old-fashioned medium, radio. Stay tuned to Oklahoma Gazette for a future story on the album.

OKSee: What was the biggest obstacle in recording "Kids in the Street"?

Wheeler: We always try to step outside of our comfort zone, not only in the studio, but in the writing process, too. If we don't uproot ourselves completely and really push ourselves to play a different instrument, or say something we haven't said before, the art would simply repeat itself.  

On "Kids in the Street," our producer, Greg Wells, really guided us into some new territory, and keeping with a less-is-more approach, we tried to made every part count. Probably, one of the hardest things to do is put a song away and say that it's "done.”

But probably the biggest challenge while making "Kids in the Street" was letting the imperfections, caused by our most spontaneous approach to record making yet, live on the final master. There's something honest and beautiful about letting the blemishes show sometimes.

OKS: What do you think is the optimal situation for playing "Beekeeper's Daughter”? International fashion show? Saturday-night house party? Sexy photo shoot? Other?

Wheeler: D: Other.

Just kidding. I think our music is always a great listen while driving. I listened to "Kids in the Street" a lot during the mixing process by taking my dog on long walks, leaving my phone at home, and just losing myself in it. Our music has always been a great escape for us, as well as our fans. "Beekeeper's Daughter" has a lot of good sing-along moments, and can really be turned up in any setting, but, like a lot of songs on this record, has a groovy sex appeal to it.