HANGING OUT WITH THE DOCTORS & THE LAWYERS

HANGING OUT WITH THE DOCTORS & THE LAWYERS

With over 1,500 facebook likes, a newly released Album titled “Hear it Again” and a resume that includes both the CukoRakko Music and Arts Festival and Wakarusa Music Festival, the boys who formed the band that is now known as The Doctors and The Lawyers in a tiny University of Alabama freshman dorm room have taken the music scene by storm.
Back in 2011, Chris Wilhelm was strolling the halls of the university’s Riverside East dorm when he stumbled upon a “lead guitarist wanted” flier. With a background in music and theater that pre dates back to his middle school days, Chris decided he might as well give it a shot– What was he to lose?
“That’s where I come in,” jokes guitarist and vocalist, Taylor Atkinson.
The flier Chris found led straight to Taylor’s dorm room, which so happened to be two floors from his. With both their love of music and hopes of creating a band that would let them artistically express themselves, the first half of The Doctors and The Lawyers formed.
After the major stepback caused in Tuscaloosa by the tornado on April 27th,2011, the band took a break, promising to reconvene at the start of the new semester in August; a promise that was only kept by both Chris and Taylor.
“Our [then] drummer texted Taylor and said ‘hey by the way I transferred’ and so we were once again on the search for a new drummer” guitarist and vocalist, Chris Wilhelm said.
Jordan Kumler, at the time, was living with Taylor as randomly placed roommates in the university’s Ridgecrest South Dorm. When the band saw themselves without a drummer, Taylor reached out to Kumler in the hopes of him maybe knowing someone who might play the drums. What Atkinson did not expect was for his roommate to say he knew how to play.
After playing for quite some time, the band’s bass player left to go into Pharmaceutical School at Auburn University. In the search for yet again another member of the band, the guys resorted to their old school ways of making a flier.
At the time, Ross Singer was playing with another band when a friend of his recommended he get in touch with The Doctors and The Lawyers.
“I was aware of who they were,” Bass Player, Ross Singer said. “But I had never really listened to their music so, I decided to check them out because I was looking to try something different.”
For the guys, as soon as Ross came in and played for them, they knew he was the one they needed. After four years of trial and errors with various members, a severe weather disaster that delayed the start of the band, The Doctors and The Lawyers were finally ready to the take on both Tuscaloosa and the nation’s music scene.
During the interview, they offered to play their favorite original song: Trybliss– written by drummer, Jordan Kumler. You could sense the trust and laid back feel of the band once they set their hands on their corresponding instruments and nodded to one another that it was time to start. Unlike many bands, these guys were more than just professional musicians. These were four best friends getting to hang out and do what they love together.
Musically, the guys are very supportive of each other. They allow one another to express their artistic abilities and intuitions, which creates the very sought out sound of live improvisation both them and their fans have grown to love.
What felt more like a sit down with friends rather than an interview, the guys opened up about fender benders, how many hammocks Jordan and Taylor have throughout the house, the geese that live in the attic, as well as their own personal music taste and favorite top 40 songs.
You can watch The Doctors and The Lawyers live at Rare Martini in Birmingham, Alabama on October 30th at 10 p.m.