José González
Encyclopedia
José González is a Swedish-Argentine indie folk
singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg
, Sweden
.
González is also a member of Swedish band Junip
, along with Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn.
to Sweden in 1976. He was born in 1978, two years after his psychology academic father, mother and older sister, then an infant, fled Argentina after a military junta
seized power in March 1976 at the beginning of the "dirty war
". González was born in a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden. He commented, "It's a very small town. It has about a half-million people living there. It's a pretty good music city by the ocean. It rains a lot there, but it's beautiful in the summertime." González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music, and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez
as a favourite artist, though not Rodriguez' "squeaky voice". He said the first concert he went to was "The Wailers. I got their autographs and everything. I was about 12 or so. At the time my favourite music was Bob Marley and Michael Jackson."
The first band he played in was Back Against the Wall, a Gothenburg hardcore punk
band influenced by Black Flag
, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys
. He later played bass guitar
in another hardcore band, Renascence, between 1993–1998. Between 1997 and 1998 José played guitar with rock band Only if You Call Me Jonathan.
In June 2003 González released his debut solo release, a two-track 7" single. The single was discovered by Joakim Gävert, co-founder of the then fledgling label Imperial Records who then signed González as their first official artist. In October he released his debut album, Veneer
, in Europe. The album was subsequently released in the UK
on 25 April 2005, and in the United States
on 6 September 2005. The album was made while González was studying for a PhD
in Biochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, which he has not completed due to a lack of time since his musical career has taken off.
González' trademark sound is solo classical guitar
with soft vocal melody. His work, although mostly original, also includes acoustic covers of such hits as "Heartbeats" by his fellow Swedes The Knife
, "Love Will Tear Us Apart
" by Joy Division
, "Born in the U.S.A.
" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen
, "Hand on Your Heart
" by Kylie Minogue
, "Smalltown Boy
" by Bronski Beat
, "Teardrop
" by Massive Attack
and "Last Snowstorm of the Year" by Low
.
His second album, In Our Nature
, was released internationally on 22 September 2007. The album's lyrical content was in part influenced by his reading of books like The God Delusion
by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins
and Practical Ethics
by ethicist Peter Singer
. González is an atheist
.
(29 March 2006 and 28 September 2007), Jimmy Kimmel Live
(12 October 2007), the BBC's Later... with Jools Holland
(9 June 2006), Last Call with Carson Daly
(21 June 2006), Seven Network
's Sunrise (15 August 2007) and Canada
's MTV Live
(5 December 2007).
The song "Crosses", from González's Crosses EP
and the Veneer album, appeared on the finale of the second season of the popular American television
comedy-drama
The O.C.
, as well as on a trailer for a BBC Four
programme. Also taken from the Veneer album, "Stay in the Shade" was used in The O.C.
, midway through season three, in the episode The Pot Stirrer. His music has also been used in the Friday Night Lights
TV series (12 December 2006).
His cover of The Knife
's "Heartbeats" has been used many times. It featured in a Sony
BRAVIA
commercial featuring 250,000 coloured bouncing balls in San Francisco; in episode 409 and 505 of the CW's One Tree Hill
and is included on the album The Road Mix: One Tree Hill Volume 3; it featured in season 7, episode 2 of Scrubs
; in season 1, episode 21 of Brothers & Sisters; in season 4, episode 16 of Bones
; in Stargate Universe
; in 90210
; and in an episode of the British TV show; Sun, Sea and A+E. Gone, a 2007 film directed by Ringan Ledwidge, features the track "Lovestain", from the Veneer
album.
Music from González' latest album has also been used in other television shows. His version of Massive Attack
's "Teardrop
" was used in the fourth season finale
of House
entitled "Wilson's Heart" (the Massive Attack version is used as the show's theme music). It features in the fifth season episode of Numb3rs
entitled "The Fifth Man". The song can be heard at the end of Friday Night Lights
, Season 4 Episode "A Sort of Homecoming".
González performed his original song "Far Away" at the Spike Video Game Awards, where it won "Best Song" for its featured appearance in Rockstar Games
' video game Red Dead Redemption, which also took home the award for "Game of the Year".
with Tobias Winterkorn and Elias Araya. To date Junip have released two EPs; Black Refuge
and the free internet release Rope and Summit
, along with a full-length album, Fields
.
He collaborated with UK downtempo duo Zero 7
on their 2006 album, The Garden
, providing guest vocals on the album's tracks, along with Zero 7 regular Sia Furler
. González performs vocals on four songs: "Futures", "Left Behind", "Today" and "Crosses".
González collaborated with Finnish house DJ Jori Hulkkonen
on the track "Blinded By The Numbers" from Hulkkonen's album Dualizm, released in 2005, and his song 'Crosses' was sampled by British hiphop artist Plan B for the song "Cast a Light" which appears on the Paint It Blacker EP. He has also collaborated with the Swedish hip hop DJ and producer Embee
on the track "Send Someone Away", the album mixed by Soundism
received a Grammis
. González's song "Crosses" was remixed in 2006 by popular Dutch DJ Tiësto
. González can also be heard in the song "I want you Back" by the Swedish indie-rock group Niccokick.
González collaborated with The Books
on Red Hot Organization
's Dark Was the Night
compilation album, fundraising for HIV
and AIDS
awareness, which was released in February, 2009. In 2011, he contributed to the organization's follow-up album "Red Hot+Rio 2" with the song "Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo," recorded with Mia Doi Todd
.
González participated in The Göteborg String Theory
project in 2009-2011, an experimental music and art project that involved artists from Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden
and classical composers from Berlin
, Germany
. A new sound piece of his song "Cycling Trivialities" was arranged by composer Nackt for a classcial orchestra. It was recorded and performed together with González, and finally released on the album The Göteborg String Theory (Kning Disk) in april 2010. González continued his collaboration with The Göteborg String Theory in 2011. Nackt wrote 11 new arrangement for González' songs, and in spring 2011 José González and The Göteborg String Theory went on a European tour in 19 cites.
onstage and Alhambra, Esteve, and Córdoba classicals while recording.
Amps: for live performances, a Fishman Prefix Pro Blend in the Alhambra. When performing solo, he also plays into whatever condenser mic the venue supplies.
Strings: La Bella polished nylon, high tension.
Capo: Shubb C7B partial.
Picks: González plays only with his fingernails, reinforced with a nail strengthener.
González consistently uses 'altered' guitar tunings
in his tunes, de-tuning the 6th (E) string down to D for all his songs, with the 3rd (G) string altered between F#, G and A from tune to tune (e.g. A in his cover of Hand on Your Heart
and F# in Heartbeats.) He does the retuning himself during live performances rather than use 3 different guitars on stage.
Indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s from singer/songwriters in the indie rock community showing heavy influences from folk music scenes of the 50s, 60s and early 70s, country music, and indie rock. A few early artists included Lou Barlow, Beck, Jeff Buckley and Elliott Smith...
singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
González is also a member of Swedish band Junip
Junip
Junip is a Swedish band featuring Elias Araya, Tobias Winterkorn, and José González, known for his solo work. They released Black Refuge EP at the end of 2005. After a five year hiatus, they released Fields on September 14, 2010.-EPs:...
, along with Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn.
Biography
González' parents moved from ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to Sweden in 1976. He was born in 1978, two years after his psychology academic father, mother and older sister, then an infant, fled Argentina after a military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
seized power in March 1976 at the beginning of the "dirty war
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
". González was born in a suburb of Gothenburg, Sweden. He commented, "It's a very small town. It has about a half-million people living there. It's a pretty good music city by the ocean. It rains a lot there, but it's beautiful in the summertime." González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music, and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez is a Cuban musician, and a leader of the nueva trova movement.He is considered Cuba's best known folk singer and known for his highly eloquent and symbolic lyrics. Many of his songs have become classics in Latin American music, such as Ojalá, Playa Girón, Unicornio and...
as a favourite artist, though not Rodriguez' "squeaky voice". He said the first concert he went to was "The Wailers. I got their autographs and everything. I was about 12 or so. At the time my favourite music was Bob Marley and Michael Jackson."
The first band he played in was Back Against the Wall, a Gothenburg hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band influenced by Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
. He later played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
in another hardcore band, Renascence, between 1993–1998. Between 1997 and 1998 José played guitar with rock band Only if You Call Me Jonathan.
In June 2003 González released his debut solo release, a two-track 7" single. The single was discovered by Joakim Gävert, co-founder of the then fledgling label Imperial Records who then signed González as their first official artist. In October he released his debut album, Veneer
Veneer (album)
Veneer is the debut album by the Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released on October 29, 2003 in Sweden; April 25, 2005 in the rest of Europe; and on September 6, 2005 in the United States...
, in Europe. The album was subsequently released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 25 April 2005, and in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on 6 September 2005. The album was made while González was studying for a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Biochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, which he has not completed due to a lack of time since his musical career has taken off.
González' trademark sound is solo classical guitar
Classical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
with soft vocal melody. His work, although mostly original, also includes acoustic covers of such hits as "Heartbeats" by his fellow Swedes The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
, "Love Will Tear Us Apart
Love Will Tear Us Apart
"Love Will Tear Us Apart" is a song by the British post-punk band Joy Division. It was written in August and September 1979, and debuted when the band supported Buzzcocks on their UK tour in September and October 1979. It is one of the few songs in which singer Ian Curtis played guitar...
" by Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, "Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. (song)
"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...
" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, "Hand on Your Heart
Hand on Your Heart
"Hand on Your Heart" is a dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman...
" by Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
, "Smalltown Boy
Smalltown Boy
"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
" by Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat
Bronski Beat were a popular British synthpop trio who achieved success in the mid 1980s, particularly with the 1984 chart hit "Smalltown Boy". All members of the group were openly homosexual and their songs reflected this, often containing political commentary on gay-related issues...
, "Teardrop
Teardrop (song)
"Teardrop" is a song by Massive Attack, which was first released on their 1998 album Mezzanine. It was released as a single on 27 April 1998. The song became another UK hit for the group, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart...
" by Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
and "Last Snowstorm of the Year" by Low
Low (band)
Low is an American indie rock group from Duluth, Minnesota, formed in 1993. As of 2010, the group is composed of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker , both founding members, and Steve Garrington ....
.
His second album, In Our Nature
In Our Nature
In Our Nature is the second album by Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released September 24, 2007 on Peacefrog Records in the UK and Imperial Recordings in Sweden. It was released September 25, 2007 by Mute Records in the United States....
, was released internationally on 22 September 2007. The album's lyrical content was in part influenced by his reading of books like The God Delusion
The God Delusion
The God Delusion is a 2006 bestselling non-fiction book by British biologist Richard Dawkins, professorial fellow of New College, Oxford, and inaugural holder of the Charles Simonyi Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at the University of Oxford.In The God Delusion, Dawkins contends that...
by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
and Practical Ethics
Practical Ethics
The book Practical Ethics is an introduction to applied ethics written by modern bioethical philosopher Peter Singer. It was originally published in 1979 and has since been translated into a number of languages. The book caused outrage in Germany, Austria and Switzerland...
by ethicist Peter Singer
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer is an Australian philosopher who is the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University and Laureate Professor at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne...
. González is an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
.
Television appearances
González has performed on several television programs, including Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
(29 March 2006 and 28 September 2007), Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
(12 October 2007), the BBC's Later... with Jools Holland
Later with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
(9 June 2006), Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
(21 June 2006), Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's Sunrise (15 August 2007) and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's MTV Live
MTV Live (Canada)
Live is a 26 minute flagship show of MTV Canada, on the air since March 21, 2006. The program began as an interactive talkshow where viewers were encouraged to jump into the conversation...
(5 December 2007).
The song "Crosses", from González's Crosses EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and the Veneer album, appeared on the finale of the second season of the popular American television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
comedy-drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, as well as on a trailer for a BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
programme. Also taken from the Veneer album, "Stay in the Shade" was used in The O.C.
The O.C.
The O.C. is an American teen drama television series that originally aired on the Fox television network in the United States from August 5, 2003, to February 21, 2007, running a total of four seasons...
, midway through season three, in the episode The Pot Stirrer. His music has also been used in the Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
TV series (12 December 2006).
His cover of The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
's "Heartbeats" has been used many times. It featured in a Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
BRAVIA
BRAVIA
BRAVIA is a Sony brand used to market its high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors and for the PlayStation 3 , along with its home cinema range under the sub-brand BRAVIA Theatre. The BRAVIA name is an acronym of "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture"...
commercial featuring 250,000 coloured bouncing balls in San Francisco; in episode 409 and 505 of the CW's One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
and is included on the album The Road Mix: One Tree Hill Volume 3; it featured in season 7, episode 2 of Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
; in season 1, episode 21 of Brothers & Sisters; in season 4, episode 16 of Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
; in Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
; in 90210
90210 (TV series)
90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS...
; and in an episode of the British TV show; Sun, Sea and A+E. Gone, a 2007 film directed by Ringan Ledwidge, features the track "Lovestain", from the Veneer
Veneer (album)
Veneer is the debut album by the Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released on October 29, 2003 in Sweden; April 25, 2005 in the rest of Europe; and on September 6, 2005 in the United States...
album.
Music from González' latest album has also been used in other television shows. His version of Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
's "Teardrop
Teardrop (song)
"Teardrop" is a song by Massive Attack, which was first released on their 1998 album Mezzanine. It was released as a single on 27 April 1998. The song became another UK hit for the group, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart...
" was used in the fourth season finale
Season finale
A season finale is the final episode of a season of a television program...
of House
House (TV series)
House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
entitled "Wilson's Heart" (the Massive Attack version is used as the show's theme music). It features in the fifth season episode of Numb3rs
NUMB3RS
Numb3rs is an American television drama which premiered on CBS on January 23, 2005, and concluded on March 12, 2010. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton, and follows FBI Special Agent Don Eppes and his mathematical genius brother, Charlie Eppes , who helps Don solve crimes...
entitled "The Fifth Man". The song can be heard at the end of Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights (TV series)
Friday Night Lights is an American sports drama television series adapted by Peter Berg, Brian Grazer and David Nevins from a book and film of the same name. The series details events surrounding a high school football team based in fictional Dillon, Texas, with particular focus given to team...
, Season 4 Episode "A Sort of Homecoming".
González performed his original song "Far Away" at the Spike Video Game Awards, where it won "Best Song" for its featured appearance in Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games
Rockstar Games is a major video game developer and publisher based in New York City, owned by Take-Two Interactive following its purchase of UK video game publisher BMG Interactive. The brand is mostly known for Grand Theft Auto, Max Payne, L.A...
' video game Red Dead Redemption, which also took home the award for "Game of the Year".
Collaborations
González plays in the band JunipJunip
Junip is a Swedish band featuring Elias Araya, Tobias Winterkorn, and José González, known for his solo work. They released Black Refuge EP at the end of 2005. After a five year hiatus, they released Fields on September 14, 2010.-EPs:...
with Tobias Winterkorn and Elias Araya. To date Junip have released two EPs; Black Refuge
Black Refuge EP
Black Refuge EP is the first physical EP released by the Swedish band Junip. It is composed of mostly original songs, but also includes a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad".-Track listing:# "Black Refuge" – 3:25...
and the free internet release Rope and Summit
Rope and Summit
Rope and Summit is the second physical release from Gothenburg band Junip. It was released freely online ahead of the release of the band's first full-length album, five years after their first EP went on sale.-Track listing:# "Rope and Summit" – 5:26...
, along with a full-length album, Fields
Fields (Junip album)
-Disc 2: Rope & Summit EP:The first four songs were originally released on the Rope & Summit EP, while the latter two were previously unreleased.-Disc 3: Black Refuge EP:...
.
He collaborated with UK downtempo duo Zero 7
Zero 7
Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim...
on their 2006 album, The Garden
The Garden (Zero 7 album)
The Garden is Zero 7's third studio album. It was released in the United Kingdom on 22 May 2006, and in the United States on 6 June 2006....
, providing guest vocals on the album's tracks, along with Zero 7 regular Sia Furler
Sia Furler
Sia Kate Isobelle Furler or simply Sia, is an Australian pop, downtempo, and jazz singer and songwriter. In 2000, her single, "Taken for Granted" was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. Her 2008 album, Some People Have Real Problems peaked in the top 30 on the Billboard 200...
. González performs vocals on four songs: "Futures", "Left Behind", "Today" and "Crosses".
González collaborated with Finnish house DJ Jori Hulkkonen
Jori Hulkkonen
Jori Hulkkonen, born 28 September 1973, is a Finnish DJ and a producer of house music, originally from Kemi, Finland. Hulkkonen started his career in the early 1990s when he worked with Jukka Hautamäki, Tuomas Salmela and Ari Ruokamo for their own label Lumi Records...
on the track "Blinded By The Numbers" from Hulkkonen's album Dualizm, released in 2005, and his song 'Crosses' was sampled by British hiphop artist Plan B for the song "Cast a Light" which appears on the Paint It Blacker EP. He has also collaborated with the Swedish hip hop DJ and producer Embee
Embee
Embee is a Swedish hip hop DJ and producer. He was born Magnus Bergkvist on February 24, 1977 in Badelunda, Västmanland, Sweden. He is best known for his work with Swedish hip-hop group Looptroop Rockers...
on the track "Send Someone Away", the album mixed by Soundism
Soundism
Music producers and sound engineers Soundism, with a music recording studio located in Västerås , are part of the Swedish hip hop culture. Not only have new artists emerged, but also other actors in the hip hop culture that are less visible to the general public...
received a Grammis
Grammis
The Grammis Awards are the Swedish equivalent of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony is generally held each year in February in Stockholm.The awards were established in 1969 and awarded until 1972 when they were cancelled....
. González's song "Crosses" was remixed in 2006 by popular Dutch DJ Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
. González can also be heard in the song "I want you Back" by the Swedish indie-rock group Niccokick.
González collaborated with The Books
The Books
The Books are an American duo, formed in New York City in 1999, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong. Their releases typically incorporate samples of obscure sounds and speech...
on Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
's Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night
Dark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
compilation album, fundraising for HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
and AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
awareness, which was released in February, 2009. In 2011, he contributed to the organization's follow-up album "Red Hot+Rio 2" with the song "Um Girassol Da Cor Do Seu Cabelo," recorded with Mia Doi Todd
Mia Doi Todd
Mia Doi Todd is a musician from Los Angeles, California, United States.Mia has collaborated with rock, electronica, and hip-hop musicians, contributing her voice to works by Dntel, Beachwood Sparks, Nobody, Adventure Time, Frausdots, Folk Implosion, The Mission, Saul Williams, Prefuse 73, Flying...
.
González participated in The Göteborg String Theory
The Göteborg String Theory
The Göteborg String Theory is an international music and art project which provides a creative jointventure production platform for composers, artists, musicians and video artists from differentcountries...
project in 2009-2011, an experimental music and art project that involved artists from Göteborg (Gothenburg), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and classical composers from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. A new sound piece of his song "Cycling Trivialities" was arranged by composer Nackt for a classcial orchestra. It was recorded and performed together with González, and finally released on the album The Göteborg String Theory (Kning Disk) in april 2010. González continued his collaboration with The Göteborg String Theory in 2011. Nackt wrote 11 new arrangement for González' songs, and in spring 2011 José González and The Göteborg String Theory went on a European tour in 19 cites.
Equipment and tunings
Guitars: González plays an Alhambra classical guitarClassical guitar
The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...
onstage and Alhambra, Esteve, and Córdoba classicals while recording.
Amps: for live performances, a Fishman Prefix Pro Blend in the Alhambra. When performing solo, he also plays into whatever condenser mic the venue supplies.
Strings: La Bella polished nylon, high tension.
Capo: Shubb C7B partial.
Picks: González plays only with his fingernails, reinforced with a nail strengthener.
González consistently uses 'altered' guitar tunings
Guitar tunings
Guitar tunings almost always refers to the pitch of the open string, though some tunings may only realistically be attained by the use of a capo on an unmodified instrument....
in his tunes, de-tuning the 6th (E) string down to D for all his songs, with the 3rd (G) string altered between F#, G and A from tune to tune (e.g. A in his cover of Hand on Your Heart
Hand on Your Heart
"Hand on Your Heart" is a dance-pop song performed by Australian singer Kylie Minogue and written by Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman...
and F# in Heartbeats.) He does the retuning himself during live performances rather than use 3 different guitars on stage.
Albums
- VeneerVeneer (album)Veneer is the debut album by the Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released on October 29, 2003 in Sweden; April 25, 2005 in the rest of Europe; and on September 6, 2005 in the United States...
(October 2003) #7 UK, #86 AUS - In Our NatureIn Our NatureIn Our Nature is the second album by Swedish singer-songwriter José González. It was released September 24, 2007 on Peacefrog Records in the UK and Imperial Recordings in Sweden. It was released September 25, 2007 by Mute Records in the United States....
(September 2007)
EPs
- Crosses EPCrosses EPCrosses EP is the first EP by José González, released in 2003. All of the songs on this EP would later be included on his debut album Veneer, except for "Storm". All songs were written by José González.-Track listing:# "Crosses" – 2:42...
(June 2003)- 7" single (limited to 500 copies): "Crosses" / "Storm"
- CD EP: "Crosses" / "Hints" / "Deadweight on Velveteen" / "Storm"
- José González & Jens LekmanJens LekmanJens Martin Lekman is a Swedish musician. His music is guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings, with lyrics that are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. The English lyrics reflect an advanced knowledge of the language and its idioms...
Split Tour Single (December 2003)- 7" single (limited to 330 copies): "If You Ever Need a Stranger to Sing at Your Wedding" (Lekman) / "Hand on Your Heart" (González)
- Remain EPRemain EPRemain EP is an EP by José González, released in early 2004. All songs were written by José González, except "Love Will Tear Us Apart", which was written by Joy Division.-Track listing:#"Remain" – 3:46#"Lovestain" – 2:18...
(January 2004)- 7" single (limited to 300 copies): "Remain" / "Lovestain"
- CD EP: "Remain" / "Lovestain" / "Love Will Tear Us Apart" / "Suggestions"
- Stay in the Shade EPStay in the Shade EPStay in the Shade EP is an EP by José González, released June 23, 2004 in Sweden; August 22, 2005 in the United Kingdom and January 24, 2006 in the United States.-CD:# "Stay in the Shade" – 2:45# "Down the Hillside" – 2:19# "Sensing Owls" – 3:12...
(June 2004 - Sweden; August 2005 - UK; January 2006 - US)- 7" single (limited to 220 copies): "Down the Hillside" / "Sensing Owls"
- CD EP: "Stay in the Shade" / "Down the Hillside" / "Sensing Owls" / "Hand on Your Heart" / "Instr."
- Australian Tour EPAustralian Tour EPAustralian Tour EP is an EP by José González, released in Australia in 2005.In South Africa, a CD EP entitled B-Sides Collected was released in November 2006 with an identical track listing, except for the Rocket Boy remix of "Heartbeats"...
(November 2005 - Australia & New Zealand)- CD collection of 8 Veneer era B-sides
- B-Sides Collected EP (November 2006 - South Africa)
- CD collection of 7 Veneer era B-sides [see Australian Tour EPAustralian Tour EPAustralian Tour EP is an EP by José González, released in Australia in 2005.In South Africa, a CD EP entitled B-Sides Collected was released in November 2006 with an identical track listing, except for the Rocket Boy remix of "Heartbeats"...
]
- CD collection of 7 Veneer era B-sides [see Australian Tour EP
- 3 EP Collection3 EP Collection3 EP Collection is a set of 3 EPs by José González, released in Taiwan in 2007. The set features the Crosses, Remain and Stay in the Shade EPs with their original tracklistings, artwork and lyric sheets in cardboard sleeves, contained in an extra-thick jewel box with OBI-strip...
(September 2007 - Taiwan)- 3 CD collection featuring Crosses EP, Remain EP and Stay in the Shade EP
- José González & Promise and the Monster Split Tour Single (December 2007)
- 7" single (limited to 500 copies): "How Low" (González) / "Sheets" (Promise and the Monster)
Singles
- "Heartbeats (The KnifeThe KnifeThe Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
cover)" (January 9, 2006) #9 UK, #66 AUS- b/w: "Suggestions"
- "Crosses" (April 10, 2006) #107 UK
- b/w: "Storm"
- "Hand on Your Heart" (July 3, 2006) #29 UK, #88 AUS
- b/w: "Down the Hillside" / "Sensing Owls"
- "Down the LineDown the Line (José González song)"Down the Line" is a single from José González's second album In Our Nature. The single was released as the first single in the UK on September 10, 2007. The song was also the third single in Sweden, released on February 20, 2008...
" (September 10, 2007 - UK) #140 UK, #12 UK Indie- b/w: "Smalltown BoySmalltown Boy"Smalltown Boy" is the debut single of the British synthpop group Bronski Beat, released in June 1984. It would also appear on the band's debut album The Age of Consent, released in December 1984....
"
- b/w: "Smalltown Boy
- "Killing for LoveKilling for LoveKilling for Love is a single from José González's second album In Our Nature. The single was released as the first single in Sweden on September 19, 2007. The song was also the third single in the UK, released on January 14, 2008 as a digital download, and on April 7, 2008 as a 7" vinyl single...
" (September 19, 2007 - Sweden)- b/w: "Smalltown Boy"
- "TeardropTeardrop (song)"Teardrop" is a song by Massive Attack, which was first released on their 1998 album Mezzanine. It was released as a single on 27 April 1998. The song became another UK hit for the group, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart...
(Massive AttackMassive AttackMassive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
cover)" (November 12, 2007)- b/w "Four Forks Ache"
- "Down the Line" (February 20, 2008 - Sweden)
- b/w "Neon Lights"
- "Killing for Love" (January 14, 2008 - digital download; April 7, 2008 - 7" vinyl - UK)
- b/w "Neon Lights"
- "Cycling Trivialities" (March 2, 2009 - digital download - UK)
Other contributions
- Acoustic 05 (2005, Echo) - "Broken Arrows"
- Chillout Sessions 9 (2006, Ministry of SoundMinistry of SoundMinistry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
) - "Heartbeats" - The Acoustic AlbumThe Acoustic Album (compilation)The Acoustic Album is a 2-disc compilation album released by EMI/Virgin Records in July 2006 to showcase songs heard on Virgin Radio.-Track listing:Disc 1:#Jack Johnson - "Breakdown"#Corinne Bailey Rae - "Put Your Records On"...
(2006, VirginVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
) - "Heartbeats" - Acoustic 07Acoustic 07Acoustic 07 is a 2-disc compilation album, released under V2 Records in the United Kingdom on March 12, 2007. The collection is the seventh of V2 Records' popular Acoustic series.-Track listing:Disc 1#"Lovestain", performed by José González...
(2007, V2 RecordsV2 RecordsV2 Records is a record label that is owned by Universal Music Group as of October 2007. The label was founded in 1996 by Richard Branson, five years after he sold Virgin Records to EMI....
) - "Lovestain" - Chillout Sessions 10 (2007, Ministry of Sound) - "Down the Line"
- Chillout Sessions XI (2008, Ministry of Sound) - "Teardrop"
- Dark Was the NightDark Was the NightDark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS...
(2009) - Featured on The BooksThe BooksThe Books are an American duo, formed in New York City in 1999, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Nick Zammuto and cellist Paul de Jong. Their releases typically incorporate samples of obscure sounds and speech...
cover of * Nick Drake'sNick DrakeNicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician. Though he is best known for his sombre guitar based songs, Drake was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
"Cello Song" - Uncovered (2009, Ministry of Sound) - "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
- Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack (2010, Rockstar Games) - "Far Away"
- Record (2010, Zero 7) - "Futures - Feat. Jose Gonzalez"
- The Göteborg String Theory Album - Cycling Trivialities