Paul Schalda

Paul Schalda is a poet, perhaps a bit of a tortured soul, a hopeless romantic, and most definitely a guy from Staten Island. His upbringing there puts the blue in his collar and sticks his feet to the ground. Growing up the middle child of three rowdy boys, Paul and his brothers learned how to sing hearing the doo-wop melodies of their father, Bill Schalda Sr., a member of Brooklyn vocal group The Montereys. As a backup singer and guitarist, Paul spent some years out on the road playing guitar in The Extraordi-naires backing the late great Charles Bradley. As a member of the Sha La Das, Paul figured out how to simultaneously stand out AND blend in with his father and bothers and their wonderful harmonies. But it’s as a solo artist where Paul has been able to really display the soul of his lyrics and the urgency of his voice. His solo project Paul and the Tall Trees had three stellar releases on Big Crown Records, where he got to work with Tommy Brenneck (Charles Bradley, Budos Band) at the production helm with additional production contributions from Leon Michels (Norah Jones, Clairo). Paul’s voice also caught the ear of Austin legend Adrian Quesada of the Black Pumas which led to collaborations with him as well. When you hear Schalda’s music, you'll notice that his road hasn’t been easy. His voice can be hauntingly harsh, yet hopeful and tender, raucous and gravelly one moment, smooth and intimate the next.