Four San Francisco-based musicians, all pulling in slightly different directions, find dynamic equilibrium in Guella. The music is catchy, fresh and instantly likable, but also worth spending some time getting to know more personally. Guella successfully combines skillful songwriting, polished arrangements, intelligent lyrics, and literate musicianship with the adventurous narrative of improvisation, which leaves listeners always wondering what might happen next, but simultaneously gives them a tune that will be stuck in their head for days and weeks to come.

Guella's listeners might be tempted to recategorize the band after every song they hear. Thanks to the fact that David and Taylor share songwriting duties, as well as the band's incredibly varied listening habits and age range that spans over 20 years, such a temptation wouldn't be incorrect. Guella's music, while musically sophisticated, remains insanely catchy and refreshingly open-ended at the same time. Guella effortlessly transcends the broad genres that the music industry loves to employ and that music lovers love to ignore. The band can seamlessly slide between smooth lounge jazz and grimy overdriven rock, complex progressive compositions and simple soulful harmonies, straightforward folk-based songwriting and DJ-influenced dance grooves. Taken in all at once, a full set of Guella's music covers so much of the modern musical landscape that it can't help but defy traditional labels.

Guella's compositions are simultaneously familiar and new; they manage to put a unique jazz/groove flavored twist on the standard rock and pop formulas that makes them at once a band for the masses and musicians that musicians will dig. Drawing from a musical palette that includes sweet vocal harmonies, vintage tone, up-for-it rhythm, and delicate instrumental interplay, Guella offers up something appealing for all music lovers.

About the Band

The seeds for Guella were planted when Taylor and David met in the spring of 2008 through a mutual friend. As the duo worked on their songs together, they quickly discovered common musical roots. In the fall of the same year, David left his previous band and turned his full musical attention to collaborating with Taylor, who had just returned from a series of workshops and master classes with some of the most innovative jazz musicians playing today. Guella coalesced formally when Adam brought his incredible depth of session and live experience into the collective in October of 2008, and David reunited with longtime collaborator and hometown friend Jeff in April of 2009.

Before forming Guella, David, Taylor, Adam, and Jeff have fronted, played in, and recorded with various bands and musical ensembles ranging from straight ahead jazz combos to pop rock outfits, classic rock cover bands to funk rhythm sections. The band, collectively, has years of gigging experience under their belts at many professional levels as well as recording experience in the studio. In its short career, Guella has worked up a repertoire of over 25 original songs and as many covers, has gigged heavily in the Bay Area, and has professionally recorded an EP. Guella is well prepared and poised to make an indelible impression on the Bay Area's music scene in the very near future.