Shakey Graves: Dissolving the Myths of the Hometown Hero

Diving Into Change Head First

Words by Abby L. Johnson Photos by Eric Morales

Alejandro (Ali) Rose-Garcia, Austin native and the man behind the mysterious sounding Shakey Graves moniker, is looking to deconstruct some of the myths surrounding the rambling songwriter on the road trope.

It’s the beginning of the year, and while he’s usually one for resolutions, he says that this year his focus is on creating balance. Recently settling into a quiet home full of eclectic knickknacks and collected art, it seems that the serenity of home may be part of achieving that balance. 

Ali notes that he’s had a perilous tendency to want to change things about his life all at once. Getting off the open road for the first time in 2020 after nearly a decade, he was suddenly forced into change that wasn’t created of his own volition.

On top of the shared experience of lockdown, Ali explains, “I’m [also]… kind of entering that realm of trying to be more responsible for adult shit as opposed to being like, I’m going to go drink whiskey around a fire and write the best ghost song I can, which meant a lot to me for a long time. Now, I’m trying not to believe my own typecasting as much.” He’s learning to be creative in stillness, something he thought may be lost without the lifestyle of the touring musician. 

But at heart, Ali is a storyteller. Whether acting or taking photographs or producing music, whether constantly on the move or stuck at home, he comes back to the mindset of collecting inspiration from the world around him. “I definitely rely on the concept of a story being the thing [that inspires me]…reading, movies, you know, just talking to people, shooting the shit. All of that is really important,” he adds. It’s apparent in his past work that his storytelling ability continues to evolve with him as he enters a new era.

Most recently, Ali worked with a friend to create a film soundtrack. Not all of it ended up making the final cut, and he found himself with some really good leftovers after the endeavor. Suddenly, all this music he had created was up for grabs, so with friends, he began a “long format recording session that ended up lasting almost three weeks,” he explains, basing each day-long session around the bits of the film score that didn’t get used. 

After the collaborative part of this project was over, friends went home, and in solitude, Ali “had to systematically go through [the recordings] every day…It seems akin to trying to make a documentary of some sort, where you just try and capture so much stuff, and then you sort of try and find the through line.” He explains, “I have this crazy idea of finding a way to put [those recordings] out.” The idea is true to his nature and the continuous return to narrative at the forefront of his creations.  

Amongst all the changes over the last few years, self-imposed or otherwise, Ali continues to find solid ground in the act of storytelling. He’s constantly searching for stories, gathering information from the world around him, and chiseling away at the extraneous until he creates exactly what he wants. In this next chapter of his story, listeners can expect his trademark compelling narratives told in sonically innovative ways.

What’s in Alejandro’s record collection?
Some of his favorites include:
Never Been Caught by the Mummies
Selda by Selda Bagcan
Sometimes, What’s the Difference? by Track Star
True Story of Abner Jay by Abner Jay

Contact:
shakeygraves.com
@shakeygraves