SHAKEY GRAVES RELEASES “I ONCE WAS AN OCEAN” OUT NOW
SHAKEY GRAVES
AUSTIN-BASED SINGER-SONGWRITER
AND DIY MUSICIAN
RELEASES NEW SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING LP
“I ONCE WAS AN OCEAN” OUT NOW
A LUSH INSTRUMENTAL AND OTHERWORLDLY VISUALIZER INSPIRED BY EXOTICA ICON, COMPOSER MARTIN DENNY
LISTEN HERE | WATCH HERE
“WOOZILY PSYCHADELIC AND FAIRLY ORBINSON-LIKE AS ITS WILD-WEST GUITARS BLEND WITH A RHYTHM SECTION INVOKING IMAGES OF ISLAND LIVING”
NEW NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINE TOUR
KICKS OFF THIS SUMMER WITH STOPS IN TULSA, PITTSBURGH, DC, AND MORE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW – GET HERE
NEW ALBUM FONDNESS, ETC. OUT MAY 15
A HOME-RECORDED, ENCHANTINGLY LO-FI COLLECTION OF LIVED-IN SONGS GRACED WITH A FOLK-LEANING INTIMACY THAT SPAN DECADES OF GRAVES’ LIFE
PRE-ORDER HERE
March 25, 2026 – Today, Shakey Graves, one of America’s most inventive DIY musicians and singer-songwriters, released the lush new single, “I Once Was an Ocean,” from his forthcoming full-length album, Fondness, Etc. Slated for 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.
Equal parts spooky and enchanting, the stimulating new single was inspired by the iconic composer Martin Denny, a.k.a. the father of exotica. Alongside the lush instrumental is the release of the otherworldly visualizer – watch here.
“It’s literally a recording from another time,” reveals Graves. “Years ago, I set out to make an entirely instrumental record inspired by Martin Denny’s Exotica, but imagined in Texas, instead of the Pacific islands. This track was the crown jewel of those sessions. I’ve been trying to find a home for it ever since, but it never quite worked sonically or thematically with the other tracks. The song draws on the fact that the harsh, alien terrain of the Big Bend region was once a shallow prehistoric ocean filled with giant clams and tendriled creatures. At its heart, this record is about the awful grace of change, so thematically, the shoe finally fit.”
Premiered by FLOOD Magazine, “Rose-Garcia's latest track is woozily psychedelic and fairly Orbison-like as its Wild-West guitars blend with a rhythm section invoking images of island living."
The surreal new track follows the release of “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.). Also found on the new album, listen to “Time Flies” here.
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.
In support of the record, Graves will kick off a new tour 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
FONDNESS, ETC. TRACKLIST:
Don’t Change a Thing
When the Love Is New
Time Flies
Suddenly
Away It Goes
The Boilermaker
I Once Was an Ocean
On My Own
No Place to Be
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
Photo CREDIT: ALEJANDRO ROSE-GARCIA
