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The All-American Rejects came out swinging with their self-titled debut in 2002, instantly winning over fans from across the globe.  The band added to the buzz with the release of their smash sophomore album Move Along. Now, with two albums, a live DVD, a slew of awards, and hundreds of shows under their belts, the All-American Rejects are back with When The World Comes Down.

Guitarist Mike Kennerty lets Yahoo! Music Canada in on what it's like to be on top of the world...or at least the charts.   

When the world comes down, what will you do?  

Sit back, make out with my lady, laugh with my friends, and watch the show. 

This upcoming album, When The World Comes Down, made a list for most anticipated albums of 2008.  Does that blow your mind?

It's pretty cool that we can go away for a couple years and people still want us back.  Every time we go to do a record we look at it like we're starting over, like we're gonna have to build our band from scratch, so it's really nice when we see things that show us there are people out there who do stick with our band, even when we're out of the public eye for a bit.

What were some of the challenges you faced while putting together this album? 

The biggest challenge was our own self-imposed pressure.  With "Move Along," there were opinions flying at us left and right; from management, label, etc.  We knew we had something good, but it was a fight to prove it to everyone else.  With "When the World Comes Down," it was the exact opposite.  Everyone around us was stoked with what we were doing, but we were unsure of ourselves.  We couldn't tell if the songs were good enough.  It took a lot of work, a lot of introspection, and basically a lot of time, but in the end we got a record we're really proud of, which is always our first goal.   

Do you have a process or formula when it comes to writing and putting songs together? 

The songs always start with a melody in Tyson's head.  He roughly constructs some chord structures around those melodies and then presents them to Nick, who helps him turn the pieces into a rough skeleton of a song.  Then the rest of us come in and we begin to feel the songs out as a full band until we've got a semi-finished product we're happy with it. 

Do you have a favourite song on the album? 

It's an ever changing thing, but right now I'm really happy with a song called "Breakin'."  It was actually the last song written for the record.  We got it together about 3/4 of the way through the recording process.  It's got a groove that we don't often capture. 

With your last album, Move Along, you had a ridiculous touring schedule.  How many months/ shows did you end up doing? 

I'm not sure about the number of shows, but we were on the road for a solid two years, and even while writing and recording "When the World Comes Down" we were still playing at least a couple shows a month.  It never seems to end, but that's not a bad thing... 

How do you survive life on the road?  Is there anything that you can’t live without? 

Life on the road is all we ever wanted, so surviving it is easy.  If you're not mentally prepared for it, it could destroy you, but we've always managed to chug along relatively unscathed.  It's all in your attitude about it.

You have shared the stage with a slew of bands, including Bon Jovi!  Are you fans of Bon Jovi?  What was that experience like? 

It was insane.  I grew up on MTV in the '80s, so getting to play with them was the fulfillment of a little kid's fantasy.  It's something you never actually expect to happen.  And they were incredibly nice and accommodating, so it made the whole experience amazing. 

You were very vocal about your Obama support.  Now that he is the new president, what do you hope to see change/ happen during his term? 

I kinda felt like whoever won, some needed change was coming.  There's a whole trail of shit left in the wake of the last administration that he's gonna have to face, so as long as he makes a concerted effort to take on any of it, I'll be happy. 

Is there a song, classic or current that you wish you wrote?   

There are far too many to list.  I constantly am in awe of others' songs, from melodies to recording tricks to arrangements.  I never feel adequate listening to the music I love.

If you had to choose one pop culture/ tabloid fiasco of 2008 or most tabloid/ paparazzi spotlight figure that stands out, what or who would it be?

Honestly, there are so many, I can't think of one that stands out.  I keep catching that TMZ show after the Simpsons ends and it just sorta bums me out.  F*!^ that S%*$...