The All-American Rejects Release ‘King Kong’ Single Ahead of First Album in 14 Years

The All-American Rejects put out their new single "King Kong" on April 20. This track gives fans a taste of what's coming on the band's fifth studio album, Sandbox, set to arrive on May 15.

Frontman Tyson Ritter talked about how the song grew from his decision to leave Los Angeles and head back to Oklahoma. "I'm from a small town in Oklahoma, and I moved back home," Ritter said in a statement picked up by Yahoo. "When I got to L.A., I fell into an interesting crowd. It was the quintessential, 'I'm in L.A. in my twenties and early thirties', life. It's a town where everyone is chasing the same industry. There's no real life about it for me that I experienced until I left."

"King Kong" arrives after two earlier singles: "Easy Come, Easy Go" and "Get This." Fans have been streaming both tracks, and they've climbed the charts on alternative radio and viral platforms. This upcoming record is the group's first full-length drop since 2012's Kids In The Street.

The Oklahoma-born act packed venues in 2023 during their Wet Hot All-American Summer Tour. A year later, they threw free pop-up concerts that pulled thousands to USC, a cornfield, and a house in Nashville as part of 2025's House Party Tour. 

Sandbox is the first independent release from the pop-rock quartet. Ritter gave credit to Wheeler for polishing "King Kong" into its final version. "Nick brought out the quality in the song," he said. "It was a very natural combination of our efforts."

At SXSW last month, the group announced a second House Party Tour. Dates will come out soon.

Download Festival in Leicestershire has the band booked for June 13. They've sold out Manchester Academy on June 14 and O2 Forum Kentish Town in London on June 16. After that, they'll hit Warsaw, Berlin, Tilburg, and Paris through the rest of June.

All dates are on their website.