Root Doctors in Columbia for new release Party

It’s hard not to dance when Columbia’s Root Doctors are playing. Over the years, the group has mastered covers of feel-good tunes that span the decades, including September, Build Me Up Buttercup, Uptown Funk, Brown-Eyed Girl and Under the Boardwalk.

But the Root Doctors are more than a cover band. Songwriters at heart, they’ve released three albums of their own work over the past two decades.

Friday, they’ll release their fourth, a six-track collection entitled “Side A.” It’s the band’s first release in 16 years.

Like the songs that have made them famous, “Side A’s” tracks are filled with toe-tapping rhythms, catchy lyrics and, in the case of “Free,” a soulful saxophone solo. They’re the kind of tunes you’ll find yourself listening to again and again.

And while the whole band teamed up to create the new album, it came together quite naturally.

“We don’t really have a process for songwriting,” said drummer J. Kyle Smith. “They just kinda happen. Usually one person, mainly Whitney our guitar player or Walter our lead singer, comes up with an idea and the band collaborates until we have a finished product. Our co-producer Eric McCoy brings it all together.”

The album was recorded at Archer Avenue Studio in Columbia.

The release party for “Side A” will be held on Friday at Jillian’s in the Vista. Doors open at 6 p.m.; the opening act, Hijacked, plays at 7; the Root Doctors will take the stage around 8.

The show is free. For more information, visit therootdoctors.com

Katie McElveen, Special to The State

This story was originally published September 10, 2015 at 4:07 PM.