A Day To Remember released “All I Want” to U.S. radio on October 12, 2010, introducing their fourth studio album, What Separates Me From You. Victory Records also announced its iTunes availability that day, following the song’s online premiere the previous week. The band had chosen a lead single that could connect their heavier and more melodic sides ahead of the album’s U.S. release on November 16.
The follow-up to Homesick took shape while the band was still working through a demanding touring schedule. Guitarist Neil Westfall told Alter The Press that they went straight into the studio because they wanted to maintain that momentum. Most of the writing happened on the road, with the remaining songs finished at home alongside Tom Denney and Chad Gilbert. Some were completed just days before recording. Gilbert and Andrew Wade had both worked on Homesick, and Westfall valued the familiarity: Gilbert understood the band’s combination of pop and heavy music, while Wade knew how to get the sounds they wanted. Working with friends also made the pressure of following Homesick easier to handle. Jeremy McKinnon took a production role alongside Gilbert and Wade, his first on an A Day To Remember album.
“All I Want” emerged late in that process. Looking back in a 2016 interview with chorus.fm, guitarist Kevin Skaff called it “super last minute,” placing it among the songs McKinnon finished late that had become his favorites. Its position as the first single came from the band. McKinnon told Music Connection that its upbeat pace, darker edge and pop appeal made it the right introduction. They wanted listeners who preferred either side of A Day To Remember to recognize something of the band they already knew. Westfall described the choice similarly in his pre-release interview with Alter The Press, seeing it as a transition from Homesick into the new record.
McKinnon was already discussing those expectations when he posted the lyrics on the band’s website after the online premiere. Alongside an explanation of the song, he addressed fans worried about the direction of the new material. They had also heard a clip of “2nd Sucks,” and he assured them the album would have something for the band’s different listeners. His explanation of “All I Want” centered on taking chances and trusting a decision even when other people disagreed. “Live life, and be happy with yourself,” he wrote.
That outlook also had a specific connection to playing in a band. In Music Connection, McKinnon described the song in terms of pursuing music despite the obstacles and uncertainty surrounding that choice. The video extended that idea through appearances by musicians who had influenced A Day To Remember or become friends through touring. Pete Wentz, Andrew W.K. and members of The Devil Wears Prada were among the guests. Their participation put some of those musical relationships on screen alongside the band.
On January 11, 2011, A Day To Remember performed “All I Want” and “Better Off This Way” on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, making their national television debut.
