Listen to this report, complete with audio, below:

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Does the front man of The All-American Rejects have a dirty little secret regarding his throat? Something seemed off when I asked Bassist Nick Wheeler about it.

It isn’t known when Ritter began experiencing issues with his vocal chords. But, the condition became public in July 2006. The pop-rock stars cancelled the remaining four dates on their Canadian tour. The following fall, the group played the U.S. – but Ritter did not make the media rounds. His band mates handled any press obligations. Ritter reportedly would not speak all day, perform the show, and then not talk for the remainder of the evening. He cycled this habit throughout the duration of “Tournado.”

The Rejects will release “When The World Comes Down” in less than a week – and with the LP comes interviews, performances, and appearances. But without a clear answer from Wheeler, it’s unknown whether Ritter is in the clear himself.

Wheeler seemed equally taken aback later in our conversation. Only this time, he entertained the thought of what the Rejects career would look like if their current label, Interscope, had released their first, self-titled LP.

The Oklahoma-based band drops their third album this Tuesday.