Last month, the New York-raised, Dallas, TX-based singer-songwriter Paul Schalda (Sha La Das, Paul & The Tall Trees, Charles Bradley) announced the forthcoming release of his debut solo album, Lately, with the steady-grooving lead single “Anything For Your Love” produced by Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas), which was preceded by another Quesada/Schalda collaboration, “Joey.” The album, due November 7, 2025 on Skylark Soul Co., promises to showcase the many facets of this talented artist’s sonic persona.
Today, Schalda is thrilled to share the upcoming album’s opening track, “Alarmist.” The song, which was the first Schalda wrote for what would become Lately, sets the tone for the record: an ode to the human experience with a vastness and sonic depth apt to its subdued lyrical angst.
Lately co-producer Jeff “Skin” Wade, while speaking on the origins of “Alarmist,” says “To me this is the kind of song that either has to open a record or close it. When Paul first sent his demos this was easily one of my early favorites. I knew it had to have some drive to it but where we started and where we ended is one of my favorite journeys of the recording process. I think the genius that is Robert Ellis is all over this. All of his guitar ideas were brilliant and they provide the track with a vastness and sonic depth that match the subdued angst of the lyrical themes. Also my favorite vocal performance from Paul. He has an emotive quality to his voice that makes me think and feel and nowhere is that more evident on this project to me than on this song.”