The Guild League
The Guild League are an independent pop band from Melbourne, Australia. The Guild League's music can be broadly categorized as independent style pop, although their recorded output stretches from a rap style (Siamese Couplets), to a cappella. Led by Tali White, the vocalist from The Lucksmiths, the band was originally formed as a recording project in 2001. They have released albums through the Matinee Records label in the United States, and the now-defunct Candle Records in Australia.
Their first album, Private Transport, (2002) credited 16 musicians from Australia and the United States. The band reduced in size by 2004 when their second album Inner North was released, with core members White, Cressida Griffith (cello/bass), and Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez (guitar). As of November 2006, the line-up was Tali White (vocals, guitar, keys), Gerry Eeman (guitar), Cressida Griffith (cello/bass), Phil Collings (drums), Gus Rigby (tenor sax, keys), and Roger Clark (trumpet).
The Guild League celebrated the release of their third album, Speak Up, on Oct. 12, 2008, in Melbourne. The album was available for purchase on Dec. 2, 2008.
Tali White is the main songwriter for the band, writing all lyrics. Music is written by White, or by or in collaboration with Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez in the past, or more recently in collaboration with Gerry Eeman from Basic shape and Phil Collings.
On February 25, 2009 Aaron Zelinsky reported in his Huffington Post Blog that U.S. President Barack Obama used some lyrics from the Guild League song Shirtless Sky in his inaugural address to Congress.[1]
Discography
Albums
- Private Transport (2002)
- Inner North (2004)
- Speak Up (2008)
Singles
- Jet-set...Go! (2002)