His music combines blues, folk, country, and rock and roll. Rose-Garcia received his stage name at Old Settler's Music Festival in 2007 after a stranger, apparently high on LSD, rambled "spooky wagons". Then he and his friends jokingly gave each other Native American guide names over a campfire. After an inspired night of playing music, he decided to keep the name.

A little bit of history:

• Before being known as Shakey Graves, Rose-Garcia had acting roles in Friday Night Lights and the Spy Kids franchise.
• Shakey Graves became known for his one-man band set up and most of his 2011 self-released debut album Roll the Bones features him playing solo. This set up originated after he grew tired of having to borrow kick drums and high hats in order to perform. His solution consisted of a modified suitcase that functions as both a kick drum and a tambourine stand built by a close friend.
• His unique style of performance led to him being asked to be the official “busker” for the Edward Sharpe and Mumford & Sons Railroad Revival Tour in 2011, where he played music for patrons entering each venue.
• His follow-up EP The Donor Blues was released in 2012, and features a collection of recordings from 2009.
• After being courted by multiple labels, Shakey Graves signed with Dualtone Records.[6] When he began working on the album, he added other musicians to his recording process and live set, including multi-instrumentalists Patrick O'Connor, Jon Shaw, and Chris Boosahda, who produced the album. Three songs are duets with ex-Paper Bird member Esmé Patterson. The album, titled And the War Came, was released on October 7, 2014.