Dallas singer Paul Schalda hopscotches through soulful styles on his new album Lately – but always circles back to early-’60s vocal pop, a sound that’s in his DNA.
Growing up on Staten Island, Schalda absorbed the doo-wop melodies sung by his father, Bill Schalda Sr., a member of the vocal group the Montereys. He joined his dad in the Sha La Das, releasing a 2016 album on Daptone Records, and toured with R&B powerhouse Charles Bradley.
Then life – and geography – took a turn. Schalda moved to North Texas in 2017 to start a family and put his music on pause. Enter local music guru (and Dallas Mavs announcer) Jeff “Skin” Wade, who coaxed him back into the studio.
Wade co-produced most of Lately with Robert Ellis, co-owner of Niles City Sound in Fort Worth, where the album was recorded. Black Pumas’ Adrian Quesada produced one track – the Latin-tinged slow jam “Anything for Your Love.” And Schalda revives the family harmonies on “Rollercoaster” with vocals from his two young daughters and their grandfather.
Lately arrives Nov. 7 on Skylark Soul Co., the label co-owned by Wade. Schalda opens for Midlake at 8 p.m. Nov. 15 at Tulips in Fort Worth.
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