![]() ![]() Jarred Gastriech Despite the inconspicuous nature of this release, the record earned Shakey Graves notable success. He wanted people to ask, "Is this one guy or ten girls singing?" He admits that he specifically went for an ambiguous sound on the record, especially in the way he recorded backup vocals. ![]() The album was recorded at Rose-Garcia's home in Austin, some of it in his back yard. His first publicly released product came in 2011, with the debut full-length, Roll the Bones, a ten-track, 35-minute opus that takes listeners on a journey through the soul of Shakey Graves while treating them to heartfelt sing-along choruses and beautifully honest lyrics. He describes his first show with percussion as "the first time saw someone dance at one of shows." ![]() This led Rose-Garcia to invent his famous suitcase kick drum, which is exactly what it sounds like: a drum head imposed on a hard-shell suitcase that he plays by hitting a kick-drum pedal with his heel. There he watched several folk musicians play as one-man bands, playing guitar and singing while operating percussion with their feet. Perhaps the biggest influence on Shakey Graves came at a show he went to when he was still finding his sound. "It's always been me chasing myself around." "I wanted to make music that didn't sound like myself," says Rose-Garcia, who was always amused by people asking "That's you?" when he played his recordings for them during his early days. His sound was influenced by early-2000s indie rock like Built to Spill and Broken Social Scene, as well as blues artists like Lead Belly and Skip James, which helped Rose-Garcia "create own form of blues." While these influences inform his music, the key aspects of Shakey Graves come straight from his own creative ambitions. Even as a teenager, he "took solace in manipulating sound." He started recording himself with a four-track cassette as soon as he could play, and has since composed an impressive repertoire of perfectly crafted folk tunes that are both familiar and excitingly fresh. Well, lucky for him, he'll be back in the Mile High City on June 24 to bring his six-string and suitcase kick drum to the Coors Light Stage for the 2017 Westword Music Showcase.Įver since picking up a guitar at thirteen, the Austin-born Rose-Garcia apparently hasn't stopped making music. Since taking the stage name Shakey Graves and gaining national popularity through his bluesy, honest brand of folk rock, he's passed through Denver many times, and describes the city as "one of those cities that I've never lived in that I feel like I have," citing its "perfect amount of grit and sweetness" as a reason that he loves coming here. Although Alejandro Rose-Garcia isn't a Colorado native, it's easy to mistake him for one, given his easygoing manner and sincere love of the outdoors. ![]()
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