The Sha La Das

The Sha La Das constitute a vocal quartet bound by bloodlines, merging R&B and doo-wop foundations with touches of 1960s soul, rock and roll, and psychedelic pop to yield a texture at once introspective, opulent, and richly emotive. Centered on a seasoned harmony singer and his three sons, two of whom had previously supported retro-soul artist Charles Bradley, the group drew the attention of a producer who recognized the distinctive closeness of their family blend and urged them to headline their own recordings. A debut single appeared in 2016, followed by a complete album two years later.

William Schalda, Sr., born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, carried an abiding devotion to music from an early age. A capable vocalist with a pronounced interest in layered harmonies, he joined the Montereys as a teenager in the early 1960s, a doo-wop ensemble that enjoyed local favor. Although the group released two singles during his tenure, neither registered on national charts, and the Montereys disbanded in 1968. Schalda later set aside a performing career to raise his family, yet music remained constant in the Schalda home in Staten Island, where he passed on the craft of harmonizing while singing on the front steps and his sons joined in.

The Schalda brothers took up their father’s path. Paul Schalda performed with rock groups including Three Steps Up, Awek, Pablo, and Paul & the Tall Trees before playing keyboards for Charles Bradley & the Extraordinaires, whose leader was then experiencing renewed acclaim through a series of Daptone Records albums. Guitarist and singer William Schalda, Jr. appeared with Bradley & the Extraordinaires and Paul & the Tall Trees as well as the Budos Band, Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band, and Brendan Benson, while also issuing solo material under the name Swivs. Carmine Schalda recorded independently and, at his brothers’ request, added backing vocals to Charles Bradley’s 2013 album Victim of Love. Producer Thomas Brenneck, struck by the brothers’ harmonies during those sessions, proposed a project built around their voices. When Paul, William, Jr., and Carmine began shaping material with Brenneck, they enlisted their father, whose participation supplied both vocal strength and firsthand familiarity with New York’s classic vocal era. In 2016 the Sha La Das issued their first single, “Those Years Are Over” b/w “Open My Eyes,” on Dunham Records, a Daptone-distributed imprint. Their initial full-length release, the eleven-song Love in the Wind, followed in 2018.