Shakey Graves Releases New Single and Announces Fifth Studio Album

Today, Shakey Graves, one of America’s most inventive DIY musicians and singer-songwriters, announced the forthcoming release of his new fifth studio album, Fondness, Etc. Slated to release on May 15 on Secret Identity / Dualtone Records, the highly anticipated bedroom record is a masterclass in woozy, avant-garde folk and restrained indie rock, with Graves returning to making music first for himself, now rebalanced through family and fatherhood. 

Alongside the announcement, Graves released the new single, “Time Flies,” a moving cover of Frankie Sunswept’s wistful love song featuring a sonically decadent string quartet arranged by David J. Pierce, and an incredible guitar solo by Zeke Jarmon (Batty Jr.). Listen to “Time Flies” here and pre-order Fondness, Etc., here.

Also announced this week is the Fondness, Etc. U.S. tour, kicking off this summer on June 4th in Tulsa, OK, with stops in Pittsburgh, DC, and more, before wrapping on July 30 in Happy Valley, OR. See full dates and get tickets, on sale now, at https://www.shakeygraves.com/tour 

Of the song, Shakey Graves stated, “I had a vision of making this album feel like a sort of zero-budget Roy Orbison ‘50s pop record, and with such a small window to write, record, and release an entire album, I figured I should do what the pros would do and sneak in a cover song written by an old friend. I first heard [Frankie Sunswept] play ‘Time Flies’ in like 2007 at the Sidewalk Cafe in Alphabet City and have been singing the tune to myself nonstop since. I knew it was going to be a perfect fit for this project and finally made a version of it the way it would play on the radio in my head.”

In an exclusive feature, The Austin Chronicle exclaimed, “The track is bathed in a sepia-toned nostalgia, driven by the distinct rhythmic sense captured in early Shakey Graves tracks like ‘Roll the Bones,’ but conferred gingerly, like a story told to a friend, Over a patient, watchful guitar melody, accented by fairy dust strings and a hearty bassline, Rose-Garcia croons his own rendition of a lesson as old as time itself.”

On his fifth studio album, Fondness, Etc., Graves reflects on the quiet grief and gratitude that come with growing up. Featuring nine lived-in songs with a folk-leaning intimacy, the album wrestles with the tension between holding onto who you’ve been and making room for who you’re becoming, as time and the people in our lives inevitably reshape us. Produced by Graves and captured on a pair of tascam tape machines in a focused one-month stretch in his home studio, the enchantingly lo-fi LP was shaped with the help of assorted musical artifacts, including a possibly haunted 1932 Gibson guitar that survived a bunker fire in World War II.   

“The endless options of digital recording can be deadly for my creativity,” shares Graves, who plays guitar, drums, synth, and Optigan throughout the LP. “The urge to add, tinker, and perfect is nearly impossible for me to resist, and I easily get lost in the sauce. Catching the foundation of a song on tape means that you have to commit to a sound and accept what might initially be seen as mistakes. Often, these little strange moments, like a bird screaming in the background or a train passing by my house, will sneak into the track and become imperceptible textures themselves. It adds to the feeling of almost unearthing a recording, and things that would usually be left on the cutting room floor in a more controlled environment become a little snapshot of time.”

He continues, “This process of recording this album reminded me that there is truly no right or wrong way to go about making music. You just have to find something that speaks to you, and you chase it as far as it goes, work with what you have. I only had a little time, so I made a little album, but lo and behold, it ended up being a huge lesson for me. I’ll always remember this strange time in my life, and now, since I trapped it in tape, you’ll be able to hear that memory yourself.”

Emerging from Austin’s DIY scene as a one-man band armed with a guitar and suitcase kick drum, Graves (who’s also a former actor) built a devoted following through breakthrough releases like Roll the Bones, relentless touring, and imaginative fan-first experiences, a spirit that continues here with a song-first, folk-rooted record grounded in intimacy, imperfection, and quiet emotional clarity.

TOUR DATES

Mar 27 – Mar 29 – Bend, OR – Subaru WinterFest

Apr 10 – Apr 12 – Tampa, FL – Gasparilla Music Festival

Apr 16 Thu – Aspen, CO – Belly Up Aspen^

Apr 17 Fri – Santa Fe, NM – The Lensic Performing Arts Center^

Apr 18 Sat – Boulder, CO – Bluebird Music Festival

Apr 20 Mon – Tucson, AZ – La Rosa^

Apr 21 Tue – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall^

Apr 22 Wed – Menlo Park, CA – The Guild Theatre^

Apr 23 Thu – Crystal Bay, NV – Crystal Bay Club Casino-Crown Room^

Apr 24 Fri – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades^

Apr 25 Sat – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club^

May 2 Sat – Austin, TX – KUT FEST

Jun 4 Thu – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom*

Jun 5 Fri – Kansas City, MO – The Truman*

Jun 6 Sat – Rockford, IL – Coronado Theatre*

Jun 7 Sun – Lexington, KY – Railbird Music Festival

Jun 8 Mon – Pittsburgh, PA – Roxian Theatre*

Jun 10 Wed – King of Prussia, PA – Concerts Under the Stars*

Jun 11 Thu – Washington, DC – Plaza Stage at Nationals Park#

Jun 12 Fri – Westerly, RI – The United#

Jun 13 Sat – North Truro, MA – Payomet Performing Arts Center#

Jun 14 Sun – Tarrytown, NY – Tarrytown Music Hall#

Jun 16 Tue – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant#

Jun 17 Wed – Little Rock, AR – The Hall#

Jun 19 Fri – Telluride, CO – Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Jun 26 Fri – Dallas, TX – AT&T Performing Arts Center

Jul 17 Fri – Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Yacht Club

Jul 30 – Aug 2 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon

Jul 30 Thu – Jacksonville, OR – Britt Pavilion

Aug 26 Wed – Berlin, Germany – Lido

Aug 27 Thu – Tønder, Denmark – Tønder Festival

Aug 28 Fri – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Tolhuistuin

Aug 30 Sun – Leicestershire, UK – The Long Road Festival

Sep 1 Tue – Glasgow, Scotland – QMU

Sep 2 Wed – Manchester, UK – Manchester Club Academy

Sep 3 Thu – London, UK – Islington Assembly Hall

^ solo show with support from Jobi Riccio

* with Wes Parker

# with The Man The Myth The Meatslab