Shakey Graves: A One-Man-Band Rocker Evolves His Sound

Even with just a finger-picked guitar and a lone suitcase drum, Alejandro Rose-Garcia can command an audience. Performing under the moniker Shakey Graves, the Austin, Texas songwriter and one-man-band brings a theatricality and cool confidence to the stage -- whether he's unfurling graceful folk songs, or juked-up, road-hardened rockers about an array of tragic characters and ne'er-do-wells.

The way Rose-Garcia embodies the personas of his songs' subjects is no doubt a relic of Rose-Garcia's former pursuit, acting; you may have even spotted him on the TV series Friday Night Lights. But after moving to Los Angeles to try to catch on as an actor, he ended up delving further into his music. Shakey Graves soon got his breakthrough moment with his 2011 full length debut Roll the Bones, and his 2012 EP Donor Blues, and along the way, honed a set that's earned him the reputation as one the best live acts around.

Now, Shakey Graves is set to return with his latest record, And The War Came. Here, Rose-Garcia further develops that live-wire immediacy with a wider color palette. This latest batch of songs showcase Shake Graves' guitar accompanied by a full drumkit, and several tracks feature vocals from Paper Bird’s Esmé Patterson. With a lot of eager anticipation for this second record, Shake Graves takes the opportunity to evolve his sound and songcraft, while remaining true to his trademark raw simplicity.

For more photos, visit Soundcheck's Tumblr page.

Set List:

• "If Not For You"
• "Hard Wired"
• "Call It Heaven"