{"title":"Paul and the Tall Trees","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"our-love-in-the-light","title":"Our Love In The Light","description":"\u003cp\u003eStaten Island is both close enough to New York City and far enough away to make it easily the most exotic of the 5 boroughs. Rza from WuTang Clan attributes the uniqueness of the Wu to it’s Hip Hop contemporaries at the time to just that dynamic. Growing up on an island that is neighbors with the capital of the world, but has no bridges to it, no trains or tunnels, only a ferry, turns out to be the perfect recipe to give a New York band a unique take on the energy of the city. Paul Schalda, the bandleader, singer and songwriter of Paul \u0026amp; The Tall Trees is from Staten Island. One part of a crazily talented musical family, Paul’s music seems to embody the unexpected overlap of The Band’s Americana, Ian MacKaye's unhinged emotion, Otis Redding’s raw, warm soul, and the doo-wop melodies his father, Bill Schalda Sr. (a member of Brooklyn vocal group, The Montereys) raised him on. On Paul \u0026amp; The Tall Trees' debut album “Our Love In The Light” you hear the sum of his experiences. This singular sound is helped by the fact that his father, William Schalda, Sr., and brother, Will Schalda Jr., play on and inspire the record. The album was written entirely by Paul, and produced by another Staten Island native, Thomas Brenneck of Charles Bradley, Menahan Street Band, and Budos Band fame. The combination of the two gives the record an amazing sonic range, from the powerhouse rocker “Crack Of Down” to the ethereal western vibes of “She Comes Around”. Paul pens a tune about the forever changing conviction of a man in love on “Once In A While”, and ironically “The Little Bit Of Sunshine”, is a story about Paul giving up on a career in music. One thing you hear in Schalda’s music, no matter which song, is that the 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. Even though he is being compared to the famous groups and musicians mentioned above, he can only call it Rock and Roll and be humbled. “I’m very lucky to be able to do this,” Schalda says. “And I’m extremely happy. Especially for my father. He worked hard for his sons and this record.” \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50494612603211,"sku":"1000971","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50494613225803,"sku":"1000970","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3be3e750-11a2-4cd6-938e-e70531ddedbc_thumbnail_4096.png?v=1727707017"},{"product_id":"so-long","title":"So Long","description":"\u003cp\u003ePaul Schalda is a poet, perhaps a bit of a tortured soul, a hopeless romantic, and a guy from Staten Island. That last bit might not make sense to people who aren't from New York. Let's say that it puts the blue in his collar and sticks his feet to the ground. Paul's music seems to embody the unexpected overlap of The Band's Americana, Ian MacKaye's unhinged emotion, Otis Redding's raw soul, and the doo-wop melodies his father, Bill Schalda Sr. (a member of Brooklyn vocal group, The Montereys) raised him on. His sophomore album is produced by long time collaborator and old friend Tommy Brenneck and Big Crown's own Leon Michels. For the people who are already fans of Paul's debut \u003ci\u003eOur Love In Light\u003c\/i\u003e, the growth and maturity will be impossible to miss. \u003ci\u003eSo Long\u003c\/i\u003e reads and feels like you snuck in his room and read his journal. Deeply personal and heartfelt, he takes on a variety of topics in the songs, the common thread being the vulnerability and passion he delivers them with. The opener \u003ci\u003eAlthough We Cry\u003c\/i\u003e is perhaps a perfect example what makes Paul's music so unique. He finds a way to cut right to the bone, entirely emotional and simultaneously emotionless. \"Although we cry, we are not meant to be\". The title track \u003ci\u003eThen We'll Wave (So Long)\u003c\/i\u003e puts Paul amongst the great storytellers of song; tension, misdirection, and irony all play a part in taking one of the most sung about topics in life; love, and putting a brand new twist on it. Paul spent some years out on the road playing guitar in The Extraordinaires backing the late great Charles Bradley where they became close friends. During that time he penned a few songs for Charles, one of which he wound up recording himself. That song, \u003ci\u003eBeware \u003c\/i\u003eshowcases another side of Paul and The Tall Trees's range, a gritty, driving, warning tune where the band has a chance to get funky. One thing you hear in Schalda's music, no matter which song, is that the 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. Even though he is being compared to the famous groups and musicians mentioned above, he can only call it Rock and Roll and be humbled. \"I'm very lucky to be able to do this,\" Schalda says. \"And I'm extremely happy. Especially for my father. He worked hard for his sons and this record.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Big Crown","offers":[{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50498344943947,"sku":"1071329","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50498345140555,"sku":"1071327","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/c8c901ac-988c-46c8-8ac5-35378a4b3516_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727745358"}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/paul-and-the-tall-trees.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}