the sha la das

Biography

The Sha La Das are a Brooklyn‑based vocal soul group built around the Schalda family: father Bill Schalda and his sons Will (often credited as Swivs), Paul, and Carmine.[3][4][1] Bill grew up in Brooklyn’s doo‑wop and R&B scene of the 1960s, singing Moonglows and Flamingos tunes in neighborhood vocal groups such as The Montereys and learning his craft on street corners and in schoolyards where harmony singing was a nightly ritual.[3] Years later, after moving to Staten Island, he passed this tradition directly to his children, teaching them parts on songs—famously even the Sesame Street theme—while they sang together on the stoop of their family home.[3][4]

By the 2010s the three brothers had become accomplished musicians in their own right: Will toured the world as keyboardist for Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Paul led his own project Paul & The Tall Trees and also played guitar and sang with Bradley’s band, and Carmine likewise developed as a singer and musician.[3][1] Their family group coalesced after producer and Dunham/Daptone musician Thomas Brenneck heard the four Schaldas singing close harmonies while they were in a Brooklyn studio recording background vocals for Charles Bradley’s album Victim of Love; struck by their sound, he pushed to capture it on record.[3] The result was their debut album Love in the Wind, released on Daptone’s Dunham imprint in 2018, an 11‑song set that reimagines classic doo‑wop harmony within a vintage soul framework, drawing comparisons to groups like The Manhattans and The Moments while remaining deeply personal and atmospheric.[3][7][8][9] Since then, The Sha La Das have been recognized for their moody yet lush blend of doo‑wop, blues, and soul, and for carrying forward the lineage of classic vocal‑group harmony into a contemporary retro‑soul context.[1][2][8] Their work adds a distinctive family‑based chapter to the Daptone Records story alongside artists such as Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, emphasizing organic musicianship, analogue production, and emotionally direct songwriting.[3][5][7]

Although still relatively early in their discography, The Sha La Das’ legacy already rests on the authenticity of Bill’s first‑generation doo‑wop experience paired with the modern sensibilities of his sons, who are deeply embedded in New York’s soul revival scene.[3][8][9] Their music has been praised by soul and retro‑soul press for its warmth, tight harmonies, and cinematic evocation of mid‑century New York, from Coney Island boardwalk imagery to late‑night street‑corner reveries.[3][9] As part of the broader Daptone/Dunham circle of musicians, they help bridge generations of Black American vocal traditions and contemporary independent soul, inspiring a new wave of listeners and artists seeking the emotional impact of classic harmony groups rendered with present‑day intimacy.[3][5][7]

Fun Facts

• The group is literally a family quartet: all four members share the surname Schalda, with father Bill singing alongside his three sons Will, Paul, and Carmine.[3][4][1]
• Bill Schalda honed his craft singing street‑corner doo‑wop in Brooklyn in the 1960s, then later taught his sons harmony by having them sing songs like the Sesame Street theme together on the stoop of their Staten Island home.[3]
• The Sha La Das first came to producer Thomas Brenneck’s attention not through their own project but while recording background vocals for Charles Bradley’s album Victim of Love; hearing their blend in the studio convinced him they needed their own record.[3]
• When they released their debut album Love in the Wind on Daptone’s Dunham label in 2018, the Schaldas initially thought the project might be a one‑off, but its reception helped cement them as part of the modern soul‑revival landscape.[7]

Members

• Billy Swivs

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Bill Schalda - Patriarch and vocal mentor who taught his sons group harmonies and passed down 1960s Brooklyn doo‑wop and R&B traditions. (Early street‑corner doo‑wop with The Montereys; foundational vocal training that led to Love in the Wind.) [1960s (Brooklyn vocal‑group era) and family teaching from the brothers’ childhood through the 2000s.[3][1]]
• The Moonglows and The Flamingos - Classic doo‑wop groups whose songs Bill sang in his youth, shaping the harmonic vocabulary later used by The Sha La Das. (Repertoire of Moonglows and Flamingos tunes performed by Bill in 1960s Brooklyn vocal groups.[3]) [Influence originating in the 1960s, carried forward into The Sha La Das’ recordings in the 2010s.[3][8]]

Key Collaborators

• Thomas Brenneck - Dunham/Daptone producer and musician who "discovered" their family harmony during a session and produced their debut, helping shape their sound beyond straight doo‑wop into soul. (Charles Bradley – Victim of Love (background vocals by The Sha La Das); The Sha La Das – Love in the Wind (producer and instrumentalist).) [Early 2010s studio work leading up to and including the 2018 album sessions.[3]]
• Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires - Soul singer and touring band with whom Will (Swivs) and Paul Schalda played; The Sha La Das first came into the studio to cut background vocals for Bradley before making their own record. (Charles Bradley – Victim of Love (background vocals by The Sha La Das; Will on keyboards, Paul on guitar and vocals).) [Touring and recording in the 2010s, including sessions preceding Love in the Wind (2018). [3][1][8]]
• Daptone/Dunham studio band (Homer Steinweiss, Dave Guy, Leon Michels, Nick Movshon, Victor Axelrod) - Core New York soul musicians who helped define the Daptone sound and played on The Sha La Das’ debut, giving it its vintage yet sophisticated backing. (The Sha La Das – Love in the Wind (album band).) [Album sessions around the 2018 release of Love in the Wind.[3][5]]
• Paul & The Tall Trees - Project led by Paul Schalda, demonstrating his songwriting and arranging approach closely related to The Sha La Das’ material. (Paul & The Tall Trees recordings; overlapping personnel and aesthetic with The Sha La Das’ work on Love in the Wind.) [Active 2010s, parallel to and overlapping with The Sha La Das’ activities.[3][5]]

Artists Influenced

• Contemporary retro‑soul and doo‑wop revival artists on labels and scenes adjacent to Daptone (e.g., groups pairing vintage harmony with modern soul arrangements) - The Sha La Das’ integration of family doo‑wop harmony into modern soul contributes to the broader template followed by newer vocal‑harmony‑oriented retro‑soul acts, though specific named protégés are not explicitly documented in sources. (Influence is stylistic and scene‑based rather than tied to clearly documented individual works.) [Post‑2018, following the release and reception of Love in the Wind within the soul‑revival community.[3][7][8][9]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Those Years Are Over (Love in the Wind)
2. Things We Do for Love (Changes)
3. Okay My Love (Love in the Wind)
4. You Think I Don't Know (But I Know) (Changes)
5. Open My Eyes (Love in the Wind)
6. Just for a Minute (Love in the Wind)
7. Silver Linings (Silver Linings)
8. Crazy for Your Love (Changes)
9. Summer Breeze (Love in the Wind)
10. You Never Know Whether (Love in the Wind)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz