Swedish singer-songwriter José González is as softly spoken as his music is.
González's brand of down-tempo acoustic folk is the sort which would soundtrack scenes of contemplation like this. After a seven-year break from his solo performing, he's back with new album 'Veneer And Claws' and a world tour.
Despite his break from solo recording, José González has been anything but silent.
Initially gaining notice with his fingerpicked acoustic covers of such songs as 'Teardrop' by Massive Attack and, most famously, 'Heartbeats' by The Knife, González took time to experiment with music in his side-project Junip, an experience which has carried over to his latest album. “I’ve begun to feel more comfortable whenever I wanted to add something more to the production. I felt very comfortable because of the work I had done with Junip, where I was playing bass, doing percussion, and trying out different sounds on synthesisers."
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González points to his cover of cult singer-songwriter and disco pioneer Arthur Russell’s 'This Is How We Walk On The Moon' – recorded for a compilation curated by the AIDS awareness charity Red Hot Organisation– as his opportunity to enhance his sound, which is usually just his voice and nylon-string guitar, and “play with production a bit more.” Junip wasn’t just a chance to experiment for José, as the opportunity arose to contribute to the soundtrack of the recent Ben Stiller film 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty'.
“Ben Stiller was already shooting most of the movie; he was listening to a Junip song called 'Without You', and he felt that it clicked with the view he had for the movie. He called me to ask me to write as much as possible...”
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After this collaboration-heavy period, Gonález felt it was time to return to writing on his own. Usually known by fans as being an intimate performer, González took his intimacy one step further by placing an ad online asking fans if they could provide a space for him to write and record.
“I had some time off to write the album, and I asked around because I had a feeling there was probably someone somewhere who knew someone with a nice house which was just standing there for one or two weeks. I ended up getting so many answers that I was a bit overwhelmed and decided it was probably best to stay at home. It was a fun little experiment.”
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With the album now completed, González now finds himself back on the road and heading to Australia with an expanded live set-up to include a five-piece band for this tour. “I used to do shows where I was sometimes on my own or sometimes with Erik and Yukimi from Little Dragon – most people would associate me with just me and a guitar. With this album it’s been a bit bigger than usual. So now, with the band, we’re able to do four-part harmonies, and add some dynamics.”
Jose Gonzalez Tour Dates
Fri 5 Feb - Melbourne ZooSat 6 Feb - Sydney Opera House
Sun 7 Feb - Sydney Opera House
Wed 10 Feb - The Tivoli (Brisbane)
Fri 12 Feb - Perth International Arts Festival
