It plays out like a domino effect. First, sound causes fingers to snap, hands to clap, or
toes to tap. Soon after, bodies move. Finally, spirits lift.
The Attire spark a similar chain reaction. The New York duo—Greg Shilling [vocals,
piano] and Stephen Santa Teresa [guitar]—channel unbridled energy through a
funkified pop soul style upheld by slinky riffing, disco gloss, shimmering piano, and
wild falsetto.
Upon pressing play, the group’s 2020 independent debut EP might just make you get
up and dance…
“When people hear this, we want them to feel fucking happy,” exclaims Greg. “We
want them to smile, snap their fingers, and dance. We try to make them forget about
their troubles, brighten their lives, and encourage them to have a good time. Life
doesn’t always have to be heavy; it can be a party. That’s what The Attire is.”
The Attire most definitely earned the right to throw this party. Hailing from the
sleepy “two-mile town” of Washingtonville, NY, Greg and Stephen initially met in
middle school. Hearing a rumor about Greg’s eighth grade vocal prowess, Stephen
challenged him to sing on the spot. “That was my first A&R meeting,” laughs Greg.
Impressed, Stephen invited Greg to join his pop-punk band. Dedicating their high
school years to recording and touring in the band, the pair continued to perform
throughout college under the influence of everyone from The Bee Gees, Hall & Oates,
and Toto to Charlie Puth and Bruno Mars. Together, the guys also faced a series of
major changes and challenges. Guidance counselors told them “you’ll never make a
dime in music,” and they faced rejection—but never stopped. Following the death of
Greg’s father, his family fell on hard times. Greg stepped up and took a job at a local
church to offset the financial burden in between feverishly writing alongside Stephen.
At 24, he endured an undiagnosed bacterial infection only quelled by holistic healing.
In the face of everything, their friendship flourished.
“To us, the whole thing is a triumph,” says Greg. “No matter how far it goes, it’s a
win. I’m here, alive, and healthy. I wrote these songs while I was going through
everything. This is my platform to speak about never giving up. You have to keep
going in life. Our message is, ‘It’s going to get better’.”
“From the lows to the highs, we’ve been through it all,” adds Stephen. “Greg and I
have a certain synergy. We’re connected, and we can finish each other’s sentences.
First and foremost, we’re best friends. That translates into being so creativity and
complementing one another.”
Through clinging to this attitude and quietly honing their craft, the musicians made
waves behind the scenes. They signed to SRP Music Group [Rihanna] under a
production deal and collaborated with heavy hitters such as Loote. A publishing deal
followed as they hit the studio with powerhouse producers The Afterhrs [Maroon 5,
Niall Horan] and Julian Bunetta [Niall Horan, Ally Brooke]. During 2019, Greg and
Stephen made a conscious choice to formally launch The Attire in the spotlight as
artists themselves.
“We were initially songwriting for placements, but the songs became too personal to
give away,” Stephen continues. “We were really telling our story through this neo-
blue-eyed soul vibe.”
Now, they introduce this vibe on the first single “Something In The Water.” Slick
guitar locks into a slippery groove and four-on-the-floor bounce as Greg’s voice hits
heavenly heights.
“It started out with me playing three chords,” recalls Stephen. “Greg got on the
piano. Andrew of Afterhrs picked up the bass, while Ian built the drum beat. It was
created like a band in a room. It reminded us of our pop punk days. Lyrically, we’re
talking about when you first meet a girl. You go out with her a few times and you
think, ‘She might not be the one for me, because I’m doing all of these crazy and
stupid things under her influence.’ In the moment, it feels good though.”
“It’s sexy as hell,” Greg elaborates. “I was with someone for four-and-a-half years.
She was the love of my life, but we broke up. My heart healed a bit, so I began dating
a few other people. I remembered how awesome it was to form love. One girl in
particular had me feeling like that. We wanted to capture the sensation of a person
who’s crazy in love. You act differently.”
Elsewhere, “Naked” details the downfalls of a purely physical relationship over a
percussive bounce and hard-hitting bass as Greg intones, “You only love me when
we’re naked.” Stephen reveals, “It’s about being in a relationship where the other
person only wants someone to have sex with. It’s another personal one.” Then,
there’s “Sriracha,” which delivers a slick and spicy kick and showcases the scope of
their sound.
In the end, The Attire move listeners in more ways than one.
“We want to change someone’s day, attitude, or mind frame and maybe help them
through music,” Stephen leaves off.
Greg concludes, “There’s true joy in life and beauty in every moment, every person,
and everything. I didn’t see it before. I do now. We get to enjoy making this music.
We want people to feel that same enjoyment.”
