Shakey Graves, one of America’s most inventive DIY musicians and singer-songwriters, has announced the forthcoming release of his new fifth studio album, Fondness, Etc. which is slated to release on May 15th on Secret Identity / Dualtone Records, the anticipated bedroom record is said to be full of woozy, avant-garde folk and restrained indie rock, with Graves returning to making music seemingly first for himself, now rebalanced through family and fatherhood. Alongside the announcement, Graves released the new single, Time Flies, a cover of Frankie Sunswept’s wistful love song featuring a string quartet arranged by David J. Pierce and a guitar solo by Zeke Jarmon (Batty Jr.). There are also some UK dates in the works, including The Long Road Festival. Tickets are available here and the album can be preordered here.
Of the single, Graves states, “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.”
On this fifth studio album, there are nine lived-in songs with a folk-leaning intimacy, all produced by Graves and captured on a pair of Tascam tape machines in a focused one-month stretch in his home studio. The lo-fi LP was shaped with the help of assorted musical artefacts, 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,” says 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 hopefully continues here.
Shakey Graves 2026 UK Tour:
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
