José González

Born in 1978 in Gothenburg, Sweden, to Argentine parents, José González developed early on an acoustic guitar style influenced by Nordic folk, Latin American traditions and 1990s indie music. After starting out in several local bands, he moved toward a more stripped-down voice-and-guitar format, which crystallized on his solo debut Veneer (2003), notably featuring a cover of “Heartbeats” by The Knife. He continued in this intimate vein with In Our Nature (2007), then explored a more rhythmic and slightly more electric approach on Vestiges & Claws (2015). At the same time González has led the psychedelic folk-rock project Junip, founded in Gothenburg, whose aesthetic remains organic but more collective. Over the years he has made numerous guest appearances, including with the British electronic group Zero 7, and contributed to several film soundtracks, such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). His 2021 album Local Valley introduced more lyrics in Spanish and Swedish while retaining the precise arpeggios and hushed vocals that characterize his work on stage and in the studio.