Indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist José González has taken the scene by storm with his simple solo guitar sounds and soft vocals. He is interviewed by The Sunday Times of Malta ahead of his concert in Valletta
With three albums under his belt, a best new artist Swedish Grammy and several appearances on various prime-time TV shows, Indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist José González has fast become a legend on the indie/folk music circuit. Now, TAO Productions are bringing him over for a one-time concert. We caught up with him ahead of what promises to be a special evening for a guitar-music lovers.
You have Argentinian roots and a Swedish upbringing – how much is your music influenced/is informed by your roots?
Quite a lot, actually. When I started playing guitar I was influenced by people like Silvio Rodriguez from Cuba, and other Argentinian artists playing Spanish guitar from the 1960s. I think my style is pretty similar to many of these artists from South America. It takes a little from Bosa Nova, the Beatles and many other influences I stumbled upon during my upbringing.
Do you find that the digital era has helped indie musicians, or hindered them?
I think it helped to make my music popular worldwide, but I came in during the transition, I would say when I released my first album in 2003. It’s thanks to platforms like YouTube and other online media that my music got popular in countries where we didn’t even have a label and distribution. And this is definitely a plus.
Changing diapers and having a kid is really rock ’n’ roll, it’s the new rock ’n’ roll for me!
Do you have a preference when it comes to guitars?
I love the Spanish guitar for its simplicity and sound. I prefer my strings to be a bit used, rather than new, and I like to use different brands for strings. However, I’m stuck with my Fishman pick-up, as it makes my guitar sounds natural through big sound systems.
When did you realise that you were now ‘a musician’? There’s always a moment in life where we sort of figure out what we are; did that happen for you?
When I was skateboarding, I used to think it would be my thing. It was the same with basketball and all the other interests I had when growing up. With music, I had my moment in the early teenage years, when I also started studying biochemistry at university and thought I was keeping the music as a side project. However, when my recordings got popular and I had the option of switching to a full-time musician I just jumped on the opportunity. Having said that, however, I did not have high ambitions for my music.
If you were told that you would grow up to be a successful solo artist when you were aged 10, what would have your reaction been? What did you picture yourself doing, when growing up?
Suspicion. I was already sceptical from a very young age.
Your music brings to mind a certain melancholia – do you agree? Where does this stem from?
Yes, sure it does. It has to do with the kind of tunings, picking patterns and chord progressions that I use. Basically, I try to keep that uplifting feeling, but the music sort of feels like it’s in that grey area, between happy and dark.
You are known for touring very regularly. How does this affect your lifestyle and family life, friendships etc?
In the first 10 years I really toured a lot. Back then, my girlfriend and I used to tour and play together and that was great. But later on, with my new relationship, it’s become a bit different since my girlfriend works in Gotenberg, Sweden, and we got a kid to take care of, too. So, the last couple of years I’ve been touring less and less and staying home more. It’s difficult to keep a stable relationship if you’re running around all the time, especially with a kid.
But there must also be perks to touring...
The best thing about it for me is meeting people and seeing places that I wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Also, you meet some very interesting people in this business. It’s really a blessing that I’m able to do this for a living.
What about the downside?
Not getting enough sleep and not having a weekly routine that lets you do normal stuff with friends and family.
As you just mentioned, you are also a (relatively) new father – in most people’s minds, changing diapers isn’t very rock ’n’ roll! How has this affected your usual professional routine?
Changing diapers and having a kid is really rock ’n’ roll, it’s the new rock ’n’ roll for me!
I understand that you are currently working on a new record. What can you tell us about it?
I am working on a similar album like the first one; short songs with just guitar and vocals with no crazy business.
How did your Malta performance come about?
Well, TAO Productions had invited me quite a while ago, but it has been tricky for us to combine Malta with the touring schedule. This year I’m doing one-off places, and I’m glad Malta is one of them!
What should we expect from your concert?
I’ve been doing quite some different projects involving whole orchestras and other formats all over the place. For this show it’s just me and the guitar, like the good old days!
José González performs live In Malta at City Theatre, Valletta on Friday at 9pm. Tickets are available online.