For nearly two decades, Swedish-born folk singer-songwriter José González has provided the soundtrack for much of Hollywood. With songs featured in everything from “Friday Night Lights” to “The Blacklist” to the “Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” González’ dulcet voice and calming arpeggiated guitar style have become familiar to American audiences.
Now, he returns to Tucson on March 18 for an 8 p.m. date at the Rialto Theatre with a new album featuring the same familiar sound. Get more show info at rialtotheatre.com/events/jose-gonzalez/.
Birthed during a pandemic that had González glued to Twitter — the former biochemistry Ph.D. student at the University of Gothenberg once studied virology until he found an audience for his music — his latest effort, “Local Valley,” includes songs in three languages and with inspiration from music all over the globe.
The Daily Star caught up with González ahead of his upcoming Tucson visit.
José González’s latest effort, “Local Valley,” includes songs in three languages and with inspiration from music all over the globe.
Q: You explore some new sounds and deep concepts in your latest album, but you also feature songs in three different languages for the first time – English, Spanish and Swedish. What led to you that?
A: “The fact that my parents were refugees from Argentina and came to Sweden, already when I was born, I was multicultural. When I started touring across Europe and North America, Latin America, South Africa, some Asia — all those have affected me as someone who has been around a lot. I’m very inspired by global ideas, pluralism, many different cultures living in peace. Musically, I’ve been inspired by different styles, even though I started with a minimalist singer-songwriter style. It was only English, but the style was Nick Drake meets Silvio Rodriguez. So through the years when I play live, it’s been great to add more rhythm.”
Q: This album feels like your most overtly political album. In “Head On,” you write about confronting the forces of capitalism directly, and you include the lyrics, “Forget your miracles, forget your god, join forces and deal with it head on.”
A: “It’s been a journey since my second album in 2007. I was trying to write lyrics and felt like I got stuck, mainly because I didn’t feel like writing personal songs, songs about relationships. In my search for other topics, that’s when I felt like the topic of religion, superstition, science and reason, those type of issues became part of what I wanted to inject here and there — many times in a way people didn’t notice. In this album, I’m more open with those ideas. I’m sure most people who read the lyrics would feel they’re diplomatic.”
Q: Do you consider yourself a musician who explores science and politics? Or a scientist and political scientist who explores music?
A: “I’m a musician who does science; I used to research on viruses, but I’m not in the lab anymore. Whenever I’m tweeting, I’m doing that as a world citizen, someone who is concerned, who just happens to have a voice that people like.”
Q: Speaking of your voice, your music has been a true sense of comfort to people during a very anxious and stressful time. Almost a refuge of sorts.
A: “That’s been something I’ve seen ever since I started playing, that I have a comforting tone, many of the songs. It’s something I understood pretty early on, and through the pandemic, especially when I’m playing live, that (my music) has been a part of their isolation. I can mention, I have a couple playlists, and one is for cooling down. I have some favorite songs on there. I also have lists that make me agitated and make me want to go out and run. Music can be powerful in that way.”
Q: Who has inspired you musically, especially in your writing?
A: “I feel like I’ve been pretty brainy; I analyze a lot, which makes me a slow writer. But I was very inspired by Chet Baker, by Joao Gilberto. The softness when they were singing. I feel like I was part of a movement, that silence is the new loud. Some people enjoy having a voice very present in production. That’s at the core of my style, but when I do 90-minute sets, it’s good to vary the style. Many times, I feel like if you only have honey, it’s too sweet. You need some dirt, some fire, too.”
Q: You originally studied biochemistry at college before diving full-time into music. What was that transition like? How did you decide to take the plunge?
A: “In my teens, I was really into music and skateboarding and basketball. Music, I noticed I was good at, but I was also good at homework, especially chemistry, physics and math. Instead of going to study music, I studied molecular biology, thinking I’d have music as a hobby. There was one point when I decided I wanted to release a 7-inch with (his band) Junip, and a 7-inch with my solo music, around 2000-01. I did that thinking maybe someone, somewhere will find it. But I kept on studying, and it wasn’t until 2002-03 when a label in Stockholm decided they liked it so much they wanted to spend all the money on me. In 2003, I had one foot in my research, midway through my Ph.D., released my first EP, ‘Crosses,’ and it took off in Sweden. I sat down with my professor, and he said, ‘You’re not coming back I don’t think.” That was in May 2003, that was the big switch, from trying to learn the copies of how herpes virus works to doing shows through every weekend.”
Q: Within a few years of that grand debut, your music was all over pop culture – “Friday Night Lights,” “The O.C.,” numerous movies and commercials. Did you expect your music to find that kind of following?
A: “It is a matter of taste, and I know it works for some and not for all. It’s been striking how many TV series and films use my music. I was surprised to hear ‘Teardrops’ on the Michael Jordan documentary.”
