* Jet-Set...Go! single - 2002*Private Transport album - 2002
*'Flipside' Candle Compilation - 2004
'Siamese Couplets' Remixed By Two4K
'Siamese Couplets' Remixed By Two4K
*Inner North album - 2004
*'Hamper' Candle Compilation - 2006
'Good Times' & 'Bookmark'
Album Tracks - Real Audio
*Trust from 'Inner North'
*Jet-Set...Go! from 'Private Transport'
*Cosmetropolis (London Swings) from 'Private Transport'
You can visit their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/theguildleague
A Few Notes From Guild League Chairman Tali White
“There are some places and times that remain extraordinarily vivid for ages, for no apparent reason. Did any of you watch the last soccer world cup? It wasn't long after the completion of "Private Transport" and I hadn't thought much about what the Guild League would do next. One night (I think it had something to do with my massive international phone bill and broken wrist) I realised I'd had nothing for dinner but two packets of mint slices and a long-neck of Melbourne bitter. I realised that I could no longer watch soccer all night on my own. So I started going around to Rodrigo's. He and I had written a couple of really nice songs (almost effortlessly it seemed) just before the world cup began. It seemed like a good place to start.
A lot has happened between then and now. I married the love of my life, Marty's a dad now, Rodrigo will also be a dad soon, Cress has quit 'serious' music to be a pop-cello heart throb, Craig has very long hair and the Guild League have a new record. It's called Inner North. Forgive my proud parent immodesty but I think it's great. The night that Ireland lost to Spain on penalties I walked down Christmas St, from Rodrigo's place back to mine, through the quietest mist. It felt like I was almost home. (Buy it…it's nails).”
New Guild League 'Inner North' Album Details
Originally formed as a 16 member pan-pacific collaborative side project by The Lucksmiths front man Tali White in 2001, The Guild League produced the wonderful and very successful debut album “Private Transport.” On their eagerly anticipated new album they have condensed their line-up and their geographical focus to bring you their second full-length album “Inner North.”
Described by the band as "twelve songs about turning points, trust and the sky" the album is the culmination of a fertile period of song-writing between White and Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez that began with the track ‘Dangerous Safety’ on "Private Transport". The pair lived a short walk from each other at the time and the night-street secrets and everyday back-yard beauty of their inner suburban surrounds are evident in both sound and subject matter. Often performing as a trio (cellist and core member Cressida Griffith makes up the three) in the two years since their debut album, the Guild League has won an ever-increasing following.
Musically, the intricate guitar playing of Pintos-Lopez and Griffith's rich cello form the core of the “Inner North” sound. Around this rides White's rhythm electric and rough shod, galloping piano, the ever-exemplary work of drummer-about-town Marty Brown (Art of Fighting) and bursts of brass from guild league guru/engineer Craig Pilkington (The Killjoys).
As ever, White wraps his distinctive voice around words that warm and chill in equal measure. His lyrics shift like the Melbourne weather from the sunny sensuality of ‘Citronella’ and ‘Shirtless Sky’ and the twilight optimism of ‘Animals’ to the pre-dawn loneliness of ‘Time Please Gents’ and the bittersweet saturation of ‘Falling Ovation’ and ‘The Storm.’ Having gelled as a band, The Guild League has produced a self assured and cohesive second album, a perfect follow-up to 'Private Transport'. “Inner North” is unhurried, wryly humorous, proudly diverse and humbly beautiful.
'Private Transport' Debut Album Details
The Guild League are collective of 16 musicians coming together to produce ‘Private Transport’, an album all about travel and love penned by Tali White (vocalist from The Lucksmiths.) Tali’s sublime voice shines whether singing stripped-back heart breakers to a lazy hip-hop travelogue, odes to breakfast and London or a cannon for voice and strings.
'Private Transport' was recorded in private houses in San Francisco, East Brunswick and Thornbury and at ‘Audrey Studios’ in Richmond over a period of about a year. The ‘ League is a truly collaborative effort with guests including Marty Brown (red raku, art of fighting) who is responsible for most of the ace drumming. Becky Baron (#poundsign#, scrabble) wielded the sticks on one song. The bottom end was held down by Pete ‘double bass’ Cohen (soda stream) and Alicia Van Huevel (#poundsign, the aislers set). Craig Pilkington (the killjoys) proved to be a master of multi tasking by playing all the brass, some sparkling guitar parts and arranging the bulk of the strings and brass.
Jamie Knight (#poundsign#), Richard Easton and Roderigo Pintos Lopez strummed the rhythm guitar deftly and when Dan Luscombe (the blackeyed susans) played the slide guitar we all wept sweet tears. Ernie Gruner (juggularity) and Cressida Griffith respectfully bowed the violin and cello respectively. Clare Bowditch (red raku) and Ilka White added their clear and lovely voices to the mix.
The travel/love theme runs through the whole album. Full of many highlights, it kicks off with a flying start in ‘Jet-set…go!’, a jangling-guitar travelogue that takes in Spain, Yorkshire, Las Vegas and Thailand before it’s joyous finale in San Francisco. ‘The Photographer’ could be described as “strum and bass”. It’s a still life memory of a sea-side moment sung over a loping, looping bass line, layers of acoustic guitars and frantic drums.
‘Siamese Couplets’ is a lazy hip-hop/pop tune with junky percussion, a soaring chorus and lyrics that attempt to capture the sensory overload of south east Asia. (The first and maybe last song on Candle Records to be rapped?) ‘Gravity’ reads like poetry and rocks along a 70’s urban folk anthem and the record finishes with the complex simplicity of ‘a faraway place’ with it’s interlocking, cannoning melodies for voices and strings.
‘Private Transport’ is an ambitious stunning debut all wrapped in amazing packaging. Hop on board for songs that will pick you up and take you places.
A Short History Of The Guild League
‘The Guild League formed in Thailand over the millennium summer 99-00. TW was there, so was NB. TW wrote some stuff in the back of a light blue Thai schoolbook. Nothing much happened for a while after that, a bit of talk, some more notes, but mostly just other things. In the back of a 96 thunderbird coupe’ in the north-american-south-western-summer of 2001, TW (who rose to mild fame as one head of that irrepressible pop Cerberus ‘The Lucksmiths’) bought a dark blue spiral bound notebook and wrote a whole song that he liked. Later that summer in San Francisco, several other decent songs were written and the notes from the light blue book were fleshed out into several more songs worth singing. This uncharacteristic efficiency from TW was in part down to the excitement generated by working with JK, RB and AVH, known elsewhere for their fabulous band #poundsign#, and BK of fabulous “The Fairways” fame. Two shows (a bookshop and a backyard) under the name ‘The Get Go’s’ and a lost recording session rounded off a very productive and enjoyable period in Guild League history.
Double happiness to you all. X the guild league board of executives.’
See reviews for The Guild League at the Reviews section.
*'Hamper' Candle Compilation - 2006'Good Times' & 'Bookmark'
Album Tracks - Real Audio
*Trust from 'Inner North'
*Jet-Set...Go! from 'Private Transport'
*Cosmetropolis (London Swings) from 'Private Transport'
You can visit their Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/theguildleague
A Few Notes From Guild League Chairman Tali White
“There are some places and times that remain extraordinarily vivid for ages, for no apparent reason. Did any of you watch the last soccer world cup? It wasn't long after the completion of "Private Transport" and I hadn't thought much about what the Guild League would do next. One night (I think it had something to do with my massive international phone bill and broken wrist) I realised I'd had nothing for dinner but two packets of mint slices and a long-neck of Melbourne bitter. I realised that I could no longer watch soccer all night on my own. So I started going around to Rodrigo's. He and I had written a couple of really nice songs (almost effortlessly it seemed) just before the world cup began. It seemed like a good place to start.
A lot has happened between then and now. I married the love of my life, Marty's a dad now, Rodrigo will also be a dad soon, Cress has quit 'serious' music to be a pop-cello heart throb, Craig has very long hair and the Guild League have a new record. It's called Inner North. Forgive my proud parent immodesty but I think it's great. The night that Ireland lost to Spain on penalties I walked down Christmas St, from Rodrigo's place back to mine, through the quietest mist. It felt like I was almost home. (Buy it…it's nails).”
New Guild League 'Inner North' Album Details
Originally formed as a 16 member pan-pacific collaborative side project by The Lucksmiths front man Tali White in 2001, The Guild League produced the wonderful and very successful debut album “Private Transport.” On their eagerly anticipated new album they have condensed their line-up and their geographical focus to bring you their second full-length album “Inner North.”
Described by the band as "twelve songs about turning points, trust and the sky" the album is the culmination of a fertile period of song-writing between White and Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez that began with the track ‘Dangerous Safety’ on "Private Transport". The pair lived a short walk from each other at the time and the night-street secrets and everyday back-yard beauty of their inner suburban surrounds are evident in both sound and subject matter. Often performing as a trio (cellist and core member Cressida Griffith makes up the three) in the two years since their debut album, the Guild League has won an ever-increasing following.
Musically, the intricate guitar playing of Pintos-Lopez and Griffith's rich cello form the core of the “Inner North” sound. Around this rides White's rhythm electric and rough shod, galloping piano, the ever-exemplary work of drummer-about-town Marty Brown (Art of Fighting) and bursts of brass from guild league guru/engineer Craig Pilkington (The Killjoys).
As ever, White wraps his distinctive voice around words that warm and chill in equal measure. His lyrics shift like the Melbourne weather from the sunny sensuality of ‘Citronella’ and ‘Shirtless Sky’ and the twilight optimism of ‘Animals’ to the pre-dawn loneliness of ‘Time Please Gents’ and the bittersweet saturation of ‘Falling Ovation’ and ‘The Storm.’ Having gelled as a band, The Guild League has produced a self assured and cohesive second album, a perfect follow-up to 'Private Transport'. “Inner North” is unhurried, wryly humorous, proudly diverse and humbly beautiful.
'Private Transport' Debut Album Details
The Guild League are collective of 16 musicians coming together to produce ‘Private Transport’, an album all about travel and love penned by Tali White (vocalist from The Lucksmiths.) Tali’s sublime voice shines whether singing stripped-back heart breakers to a lazy hip-hop travelogue, odes to breakfast and London or a cannon for voice and strings.
'Private Transport' was recorded in private houses in San Francisco, East Brunswick and Thornbury and at ‘Audrey Studios’ in Richmond over a period of about a year. The ‘ League is a truly collaborative effort with guests including Marty Brown (red raku, art of fighting) who is responsible for most of the ace drumming. Becky Baron (#poundsign#, scrabble) wielded the sticks on one song. The bottom end was held down by Pete ‘double bass’ Cohen (soda stream) and Alicia Van Huevel (#poundsign, the aislers set). Craig Pilkington (the killjoys) proved to be a master of multi tasking by playing all the brass, some sparkling guitar parts and arranging the bulk of the strings and brass.
Jamie Knight (#poundsign#), Richard Easton and Roderigo Pintos Lopez strummed the rhythm guitar deftly and when Dan Luscombe (the blackeyed susans) played the slide guitar we all wept sweet tears. Ernie Gruner (juggularity) and Cressida Griffith respectfully bowed the violin and cello respectively. Clare Bowditch (red raku) and Ilka White added their clear and lovely voices to the mix.
The travel/love theme runs through the whole album. Full of many highlights, it kicks off with a flying start in ‘Jet-set…go!’, a jangling-guitar travelogue that takes in Spain, Yorkshire, Las Vegas and Thailand before it’s joyous finale in San Francisco. ‘The Photographer’ could be described as “strum and bass”. It’s a still life memory of a sea-side moment sung over a loping, looping bass line, layers of acoustic guitars and frantic drums.
‘Siamese Couplets’ is a lazy hip-hop/pop tune with junky percussion, a soaring chorus and lyrics that attempt to capture the sensory overload of south east Asia. (The first and maybe last song on Candle Records to be rapped?) ‘Gravity’ reads like poetry and rocks along a 70’s urban folk anthem and the record finishes with the complex simplicity of ‘a faraway place’ with it’s interlocking, cannoning melodies for voices and strings.
‘Private Transport’ is an ambitious stunning debut all wrapped in amazing packaging. Hop on board for songs that will pick you up and take you places.
A Short History Of The Guild League
‘The Guild League formed in Thailand over the millennium summer 99-00. TW was there, so was NB. TW wrote some stuff in the back of a light blue Thai schoolbook. Nothing much happened for a while after that, a bit of talk, some more notes, but mostly just other things. In the back of a 96 thunderbird coupe’ in the north-american-south-western-summer of 2001, TW (who rose to mild fame as one head of that irrepressible pop Cerberus ‘The Lucksmiths’) bought a dark blue spiral bound notebook and wrote a whole song that he liked. Later that summer in San Francisco, several other decent songs were written and the notes from the light blue book were fleshed out into several more songs worth singing. This uncharacteristic efficiency from TW was in part down to the excitement generated by working with JK, RB and AVH, known elsewhere for their fabulous band #poundsign#, and BK of fabulous “The Fairways” fame. Two shows (a bookshop and a backyard) under the name ‘The Get Go’s’ and a lost recording session rounded off a very productive and enjoyable period in Guild League history.
Double happiness to you all. X the guild league board of executives.’
See reviews for The Guild League at the Reviews section.