"Maria," the first single on Doc Walker's self-titled, third album paints the story of a good mid-western boy desperately yearning for a girl. It's the sort of catchy, upbeat radio magic that pop masters like the Barenaked Ladies would be proud of. It's also the sort of song, along with the forthcoming, hook-laden second single “Trying to Get Back to You”, that makes it clear that these five Manitoba boys have definitely arrived.

The trademark harmonies between lead singer Chris Thorsteinson and songwriting partner Dave Wasyliw are simultaneously sharper and smoother than ever before.

Super-guitarist Murray Pulver’s exceptional playing and vocal contributions are indispensable and the band has recruited the powerful drum-bass one-two of Chris Sutherland and Paul Yee on the back end. With these parts in place, Doc Walker have evolved into something they never really thought they've been before — a band.

"This," says Thorsteinson, with emphasis, "truly is a band. Everybody is at the level that they need to be to actually go into a studio and make a record — as well as pull it off live."

Doc Walker split the recording of the album between Winnipeg and Nashville. Their experience in Nashville only further enforced that they're a unified musical gang.

"When you go down to Nashville," says Thorsteinson, "the bands are all pieced together. They're amazing players, but they're not a band. We're a band. We were trying to get the band to the point where if we went into the studio with a world class producer, like we did, we could pull it off. Everybody definitely stepped up to the plate."

Considering Doc Walker's 2003 album "Everyone Aboard" won them Group of the Year at the 2004 Canadian Country Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year and Country Recording of the Year at the 2004 West Coast Music Award; Juno Award nominations and a host of other accolades, the fact that they're feeling stronger than ever bodes very well.

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