By Zach Collier
Hot off the release of new Poet Bones material (including the moody blues-rock anthem “Death Cry of a Crow“), prolific Utah guitarist and songwriter Keaton Stewart is back with a brand new project. A solo instrumental project entitled Graveljaw Keaton, it puts Stewart’s guitar chops on full display.
“Over the last few years I have formed an obsession with instrumental lo-fi music, and throughout that time frequently found myself daydreaming about one day creating ‘vibey’ music of my own,” he says. “The only problem was that I couldn’t see how it would sonically work with my blues rock band Poet Bones, and I struggled to find an outlet for this newfound interest in the context of that existing project.”
Everything changed in 2020 when he discovered two groups, Delvon Lamar Organ Trio and Hermanos Gutiérrez. Both marry elements of lo-fi and organic full-band instrumentals in a way that really resonated with Stewart. “To say I was inspired would be an understatement,” he says. “I finally saw a way to bring these ideas and creative desires to life.”
Stewart has been writing and recording for Graveljaw Keaton secretly for the last several months. His debut single, however, was recorded just a few weeks ago. Entitled “the days are long & the years are short,” it’s a perfect introduction to his vibe. The guitar licks are clean and melodic – sitting somewhere between John Mayer and a cleaner Julian Michaels. The drums are tight and punchy, and it definitely creates a vibe that’s distinct from Poet Bones material.
Stewart was especially drawn to this song. It made him incredibly emotional the night he finished it. “I decided that night to forgo pause and release it as soon as possible, launching Graveljaw Keaton into the world along with it.”
Make sure to follow Graveljaw Keaton on Instagram and check out his debut single, “the days are long & the years are short” below.
Provo Music Magazine 