Jose Gonzalez
Folk / Alternative
With his crystal-clear singing voice and vibrant, classically-inspired playing, José González has been hailed as one of today’s most remarkable new artists – testament to the irrefutable power of one man and a guitar. “VENEER” – the Swedish tunesmith’s acclaimed Mute Records debut – captures his magical sound in its purest state, simply beautiful and beautifully simple. Touching on a remarkable array of influences, from frank folk to classic pop to a dazzling spectrum of world musics, songs such as “Lovestains” and the worldwide hit single, “Heartbeats,” display an eloquence and majesty that make plain why the gifted young musician has already become an international sensation. “VENEER” marks José González as that true rarity, an artist whose work is both strikingly original and brilliantly timeless.
From the start, González’s Argentinean-born father instilled in his son a love of musical diversity and expressiveness, inspiring young José to take equal pleasure in both the Beatles and bossa nova. He picked up his instrument at 14, learning the basics from his dad’s gift of a Beatles songbook, then studying classical and flamenco guitar through his teens. At the same time as he was learning the ins-and-outs of his acoustic instrument, González indulged edgier tastes like The Misfits and Black Flag by playing bass in a pair of Gothenburg hardcore bands.
In 1998, González began playing guitar in a friend’s indie rock band, saving his own songs for an as-yet-undetermined purpose. He eventually put together his own trio, dubbed Junip, with an ear towards creating more experimental-tinged music a la Low and the Constellation Records catalog (home of, among others, of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, A Silver Mt. Zion, and Do Make Say Think). Incredibly, that wasn’t enough for the young musician. His newfound interest in artists such as Cat Power and Songs: Ohia – as well as a lifelong passion for singers like Chet Baker and Joao Gilberto – compelled him to attempt some solo recordings. His goal was to create something uniquely personal, human music that captured the intimacy of his writing.
In 2003, the opportunity arose for González’s return to music when he was contacted by the Stockholm-based indie label, Imperial Recordings, who heard his 7-inch and suggested he might want to give music another go-around. He collected the songs penned over the previous few years and quickly recorded what would be released that October as “VENEER.”
The album’s title expresses one of González’s predominant themes as a lyricist, evinced in songs such as “Deadweight On Velveteen” and the opening “Slow Moves.” His goal, he claims, was to examine how “something that looks one way on the outside can actually be something else beneath the surface.”
The stark nature of the recording – what González refers to as “an honesty in the sound” – matches magnificently with his warm vocals and stunning guitar work. But González is careful to note that the simplicity of his approach should not belie the emotional forcefulness of both the songs and the performance.
González’ passion for rhythmic music – from bossa to hip hop and house to the Afrobeat sounds of Fela Kuti – led to his decision to cover “Heartbeats,” originally performed by Swedish electro duo, the Knife. While he admits part of him chose the song because “it was a funny thing to do,” he also believes that performing other artists’ material enables him to express emotions unlike those in his own lyrics. Unexpected covers have since become a staple of González’s work. Among the songs he’s regularly performed include Massive Attack’s “Teardrop,” Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” and most surprisingly, the Kylie Minogue classic, “Hand On My Heart” (a recorded version of which appears on 2005’s “STAY IN THE SHADE” EP).
Fuelled by a pair of hit singles in “Crosses” and “Heartbeats,” “VENEER” made González a full-fledged star throughout Scandinavia and a critical darling around the world. In 2005, “Heartbeats” was featured in a TV ad campaign for Sony’s Bravia LCD televisions, bringing González’ music to a wide new audience, notably in the UK and Ireland where sales of “VENEER” have skyrocketed to platinum and near double-platinum certification, respectively.
“I’m still playing the same music I’ve been playing for years,” he says, “but now, with the advert, more and more people have gone out and bought the album. It’s hard not to be a bit cynical about that, but I understand that it’s just another way of reaching people.”
Though “VENEER” is now almost three years old, the album continues to touch more and more listeners with each passing day. Worldwide sales are currently approaching 500,000 – a stunning figure that serves to demonstrate González’s universal appeal.
González has already begun gathering early “sketches” for his next album, promising that the songs will travel similar territory as “VENEER,” albeit with the inspiration of such new world sounds as soca and the eclectic Afro-blues of Amadou et Mariam. In addition, he’s reconvened Junip, whose “BLACK REFUGEE” EP was self-released last year on their own Teme Shet label. As if that weren’t enough, González also found time in his schedule to record three songs with the UK-based electronica duo, Zero 7, set to appear on their upcoming third album, “THE GARDEN.”
Despite having all that on his plate, José González remains focused on his solo career. With “VENEER” now receiving a major US release via Mute – following its initial release last year on Parasol/Hidden Agenda – this extraordinary artist is getting ready to bring his passionate, honest songs to yet another new audience.
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