William John Tell learned to play guitar from his father (also named William Tell) at a young age and began writing his own songs as well. He met some of the members Something Corporate through mutual friends and one night when they were all playing at the same nightclub, he was asked to temporarily fill in, as their rhythm guitarist Reuben Hernandez had left to study abroad. On March 27, 2001, Tell permanently joined the Drive-Thru Records piano rock band Something Corporate.