All-American Rejects comeback started in guitarists secret Nashville studio

All-American Rejects guitarist Nick Wheeler is opening the doors to the creative hub where his band’s long-awaited fifth album was carefully curated—years after he brought his dream of having a private recording studio to life at his Tennessee home.Wheeler and his bandmates, Tyson Ritter, Mike Kennerty, and Chris Gaylor, are embarking on their first major European tour in more than a decade, weeks after releasing their album “Sandbox.”But the guitarist took time out from rehearsals for that tour to open up about the integral role that his at-home studio played in helping to fuel their comeback.The rocker sat down with Realtor.com to offer an inside look at the freestanding creative sanctuary he spent years dreaming up—and nearly two years bringing to life.Located in Nashville, the standalone structure sits behind Wheeler’s residence and serves as both his personal workspace and a collaborative hub for fellow musicians and producers.The space also played a major role in the creation of the band’s new album, which is the group’s first full-length release since 2012.In the latest installment of Celebrity Sanctuary, Wheeler reveals how he found the perfect Nashville property where he was able to finally build the studio of his dreams—and how the space ultimately became the headquarters for the band’s latest chapter.I moved to Nashville in 2015, and I’ve had a place there for over 10 years now.It was actually right before COVID when I had an opportunity to move to my favorite part of town, over on the east side, and build a freestanding studio.It’s a separate building, it is on my property, but yeah, it’s a completely stand-alone, separate space that I use.

I built it for myself and my own projects, and then that turned into a very big band project.But I also rent it out, not just to anybody, but I kind of try to curate artists and other producers to come through and work on projects there as well.Because I’m touring a lot and s...