Somehow finding out the All-American Rejects hail from Stillwater, Okla., puts a lot in perspective.

The band is just another in a long line of talented musicians — think Cross Canadian Ragweed and Jason Boland & the Stragglers — that come from the center of Red Dirt Music. Of course, the Rejects are rock solid, as evidenced by all of their accolades, including rankings on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 Artists of the Decade. Not that maintaining their momentum has always been easy.