If you were around for the early 2000s drive-thru records era, you remember the hair. You remember the piano-driven angst. And you definitely remember the guy standing stage-left, hair often tucked under a beanie, holding down the rhythm for Something Corporate.
That guy was William Tell.
Nowadays, if you mention his name, half the room thinks of the legendary Swiss guy with the crossbow and the apple. The other half thinks of Lauren Conrad’s husband. But for a very specific generation of "Konstantine" enthusiasts, Tell was the backbone of a band that defined Southern California emo-pop.
The weirdest part about his story? He actually did what most rock stars only joke about during a mid-life crisis. He quit, went to law school, and became a high-powered attorney. Seriously.
The Something Corporate Years
Tell didn't actually start with the band. He stepped in during 2001 to replace Reuben Hernandez, who had headed off to study abroad. It was supposed to be temporary. It wasn't. Tell joined just in time for the whirlwind.
We’re talking about the Audioboxer EP and the massive success of Leaving Through the Window. If you ever screamed the lyrics to "I Woke Up in a Car" or "Punk Rock Princess" in a sweaty venue, you were watching William Tell.
But Something Corporate was, and is, Andrew McMahon’s vehicle. McMahon wrote the lion's share of the material. Tell was the support. He was the rhythm, the backing vocals, and the steady hand.
By 2004, the grind of the road started to grate.
While the band was at its peak—playing Jimmy Kimmel Live! and touring with New Found Glory—Tell decided he’d had enough of being the sideman. He left in February 2004. No drama, no public feuds. Just a guy who wanted to see if he could stand at the center of the stage for a change.
That Brief Solo Spotlight
Honestly, a lot of people forget he had a solo career at all.
After leaving the band, he spent about two years just writing. He eventually signed with New Door Records (a subsidiary of Universal). In 2007, he dropped You Can Hold Me Down.
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It’s a good record. Kinda summery, very California. If you listen to "Fairfax (You're Still the Same)," you can even hear Andrew McMahon on the track. It was a full-circle moment for the SoCo fans. The album hit number 11 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart, which isn't nothing.
But music is a brutal game. Tell has been vocal about the reality of being nearly 30 in an industry that worships 19-year-olds. He realized he hadn't "struck it big" on his own terms.
So he walked away. Again.
The USC Pivot (And Why it Matters)
This is where the story gets fascinating. Most musicians who "quit" end up producing or teaching. William Tell went to law school.
He had to finish his undergrad first, so he went back to USC for music business. Then, he grinded through the LSATs and landed a spot at USC Gould School of Law.
Imagine being in a T14 law school and your classmates are listening to the band you used to be in. He told Above the Law that professors would sometimes ask him for advice on how the industry actually worked. He was a 33-year-old "3L" (third-year student) when his life took another turn toward the spotlight.
Meeting LC
You can't talk about William Tell without talking about Lauren Conrad.
They met on a blind date on Valentine’s Day in 2012. The funny thing? Conrad had actually seen him perform with Something Corporate when she was 16. Ten years later, they were sitting across from each other at a dinner table.
By the time they got married in 2014 at a vineyard in Santa Ynez, Tell was officially a J.D.
He didn't just get the degree to hang it on a wall, either. He became a practicing attorney specializing in entertainment law. He’s spent time at firms like Ziffren Brittenham, dealing with the very contracts he used to sign as a kid in Orange County.
Why William Tell Still Matters
The reason people still search for William Tell isn't just because he’s a "celebrity husband." It’s because he represents a very rare path of successful reinvention.
He didn't cling to the "former rock star" trope. He didn't end up on a "where are they now" reality show (ironic, considering his wife’s history). He actually refuses to watch The Hills. There’s a famous story about them being in a hotel, him seeing her on TV, and immediately changing the channel.
He’s a guy who conquered one world and then decided he was smart enough to conquer a much drier, more difficult one.
Today, he and Conrad have two sons, Liam and Charlie. He’s a dad and a lawyer who occasionally picks up a guitar. In 2021, he even released a single called "Rossini Piano," a little nod to his musical roots.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Artists
If you’re looking at Tell’s career as a blueprint, there are a few real-world takeaways:
- Diversify Early: Tell’s interest in the legal side of music started while he was still in the band. He paid attention to the lawyers in the room.
- Know When to Fold: Recognizing that the "solo artist" window was closing allowed him to transition into a career with more longevity.
- Privacy is Power: Despite being half of a very famous couple, he has maintained a level of professional autonomy by staying out of the reality TV cycle.
If you want to hear what the transition sounded like, go back and listen to "Just for You" from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants soundtrack. It’s Tell at his most hopeful, right before he traded the tour bus for the courtroom.
To really understand the legacy he left behind, your next step is to revisit Something Corporate’s North album. It’s the final record he did with the band, and you can hear the maturity in the rhythm sections that eventually pushed him to seek a life beyond the stage.