José González

Biography

José Gabriel González (born 31 July 1978) is a Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg. He is also a member of the band Junip, along with Tobias Winterkorn. As of 2026, he has released five solo studio albums.

Early life and education

José Gabriel González was born on 31 July 1978 in the Haga district of Gothenburg, Sweden, to Argentine parents. His politically active parents were students at the National University of San Luis before fleeing Argentina after the 1976 Argentine coup d'état. Escaping to Brazil with González's older sister, they were granted asylum by the Swedish consulate in Rio de Janeiro and relocated to Gothenburg in 1977.
González grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music and has named Cuban singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez as a favourite artist. He said that the first concert he went to was the Wailers. In an interview with Time Out magazine he stated, "I got their autographs and everything. I was about 12 or so. At the time, my favourite music was Bob Marley and Michael Jackson".
González earned a master's degree in molecular biology from the University of Gothenburg and was in a PhD program for biochemistry before dropping out and focusing on music.

Career

The first band González played in was Back Against the Wall, a Gothenburg hardcore punk group influenced by Black Flag, Misfits, and Dead Kennedys. He later played bass guitar in another hardcore band, Renascence, between 1993 and 1998. He also played guitar with the indie rock band Only If You Call Me Jonathan.
In June 2003, González issued his debut solo release, a two-track 7 in (180 mm) single. It was discovered by Joakim Gävert, co-founder of the then-fledgling label Imperial Records, who signed González as their first official artist. In October, González released his debut album, Veneer×VeneerOctober 2003 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Slow Moves2:522Remain3:463Lovestain2:174Heartbeats2:405Crosses2:436Deadweight on Velveteen3:277All You Deliver2:208Stay in the Shade2:239Hints3:5210Save Your Day2:3011Broken Arrows1:58, in Europe. The record was subsequently released in the UK on 25 April 2005 and in the United States on 6 September 2005. González had begun working on the material while still a PhD student.
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×Heartbeats1 June 2003 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Heartbeats2:442Suggestions2:41" 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×Hand on Your HeartAugust 2005 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAHand on Your HeartBSensing Owls" by Kylie Minogue, "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, "Teardrop×Teardrop22 October 2007 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Teardrop3:232Four Forks Ache5:26" by Massive Attack, and "Last Snowstorm of the Year" by Low.
His second album, In Our Nature×In Our Nature21 September 2007 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1How Low2:402Down the Line3:113Killing for Love3:034In Our Nature2:435Teardrop3:336Abram1:487Time to Send Someone Away2:488The Nest2:249Fold2:5510Cycling Trivialities8:09, was released internationally on 22 September 2007. Its lyrical content was in part influenced by books like The God Delusion by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and Practical Ethics by ethicist Peter Singer.
In 2010, a documentary about him, called The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez, was released.
His third album, Vestiges & Claws×Vestiges & Claws17 February 2015 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1With the Ink of a Ghost5:182Let It Carry You5:343Stories We Build, Stories We Tell3:254The Forest3:205Leaf Off / The Cave4:536Every Age3:107What Will6:278Vissel3:449Afterglow3:4210Open Book2:40, was released in February 2015. It was critically acclaimed and received the IMPALA Album of the Year Award.
On 17 February 2021, González released a single with Spanish lyrics, "El Invento×El invento17 February 2021 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1El invento2:33". In April, he issued "Visions", the second single from his next album, Local Valley×Local Valley17 September 2021 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1El invento2:332Visions3:563The Void3:104Horizons3:175Head On4:456Valle Local2:237Lasso In3:488Lilla G2:019Swing3:3310Tjomme4:5711Line of Fire3:0812En stund på jorden2:4213Honey Honey1:49, which came out on 17 September.
In 2023, González appeared in the feature film A Tiger in Paradise, which is a fictionalized depiction of his own life.
In 2026, he released his fifth album, Against the Dying of the Light×Against the Dying of the Light27 March 2026 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1A Perfect Storm3:042Etyd2:293Against the Dying of the Light2:294For Every Dusk6:055Sheet3:216Pajarito1:407Losing Game (Sick)3:308Ay Querida3:069U - Rawls slöja5:1110Gymnasten4:0111Just a Rock2:4712You & We4:2813Joy (Can’t Help But Sing)3:10.

Collaborations and soundtrack appearances

González plays in the band Junip with Tobias Winterkorn (and previously Elias Araya). To date, they have released two EPs, Black Refuge and the free internet release Rope and Summit, along with two full-length albums, Fields and Junip.
He collaborated with UK downtempo duo Zero 7 on their 2006 album, The Garden, providing guest vocals, along with Zero 7 regular Sia. González performs vocals on four songs: "Futures", "Left Behind", "Today", and "Crosses×Crosses10 April 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Crosses2:442Storm2:51". The latter sampled by British hip hop artist Plan B on the song "Cast a Light", which appears on the Paint It Blacker EP.
González collaborated with Finnish house DJ Jori Hulkkonen on the track "Blinded by the Numbers", from Hulkkonen's 2005 album, Dualizm. He has also worked with the Swedish hip hop DJ and producer Embee, on the track "Send Someone Away".
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 collaborated with Mia Doi Todd on a cover of "Um Girassol da Cor do Seu Cabelo" for the organization's album Red Hot + Rio 2.
González participated in the Göteborg String Theory project in 2009–2011, an experimental music and art project that involved artists from Gothenburg and classical composers from Berlin, Germany. A new sound piece of his song "Cycling Trivialities" was arranged by composer Nackt for a classical orchestra. It was recorded and performed together with González and finally released on the album The Göteborg String Theory Album, in April 2010. González continued his collaboration with the Göteborg String Theory in 2011. Nackt wrote eleven new arrangements for González' songs, and in spring 2011, González and the group went on a European tour of 19 cities.
In 2026, González collaborated with Tinariwen on a track for their album Hoggar.
His cover of the Knife's "Heartbeats×Heartbeats1 June 2003 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Heartbeats2:442Suggestions2:41" has been used numerous times in media. His music features prominently on the soundtrack to Ben Stiller's 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, as do a few tracks by Junip.

Personal life

González is in a long-term relationship with his partner, Swedish designer Hannele Fernström, with whom he has a daughter, born in 2017. González is an atheist and a vegan.
A firm believer in effective altruism, since August 2017, González has been a member of Giving What We Can, a community of people who have pledged to give at least 10% of their income to charities.

Other contributions

Acoustic 05 – "Broken Arrows" (2005)
Chillout Sessions 9 – "Heartbeats×Heartbeats1 June 2003 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Heartbeats2:442Suggestions2:41" (2006)
The Acoustic Album – "Heartbeats" (2006)
Acoustic 07 – "Lovestain" (2007)
Chillout Sessions 10 – "Down the Line×Down the Line3 September 2007 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Down the Line3:112Smalltown Boy2:23" (2007)
Chillout Sessions XI – "Teardrop×Teardrop22 October 2007 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Teardrop3:232Four Forks Ache5:26" (2008)
Dark Was the Night – featured on the Books' cover of Nick Drake's "Cello Song" (2009)
Uncovered – "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (2009)
Red Dead Redemption Original Soundtrack – "Far Away×Far Away26 November 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Far Away (short version)4:422Far Away2:28" (2010)
Record, Zero 7 – "Futures – Feat. Jose Gonzalez" (2010)
The Göteborg String Theory Album – "Cycling Trivialities" (2010)
It All Starts with One, Ane Brun – "Worship" (2011)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Soundtrack – "Step Out", "Stay Alive×Stay Alive3 March 2013 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Stay Alive (From “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” Soundtrack)4:27", "#9 Dream" (2013)
Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell – "This Is How We Walk on the Moon×This Is How We Walk on the Moon17 September 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1This Is How We Walk on the Moon5:09" (2014)
Life Is Strange –"Crosses×Crosses10 April 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Crosses2:442Storm2:51" (2015)
Looking for Alaska – "Crosses" (2019)