JOSE GONZALEZ IN CONCERT:
For more than a decade Swedish folk artist Jose Gonzalez has proven there's beauty in simplicity with his intimate, no-frills live performances. Though he's occasionally augmented by a percussionist, string section, or backing vocalist, he often performs with just an acoustic guitar, hypnotizing concertgoers with soft melodies and thoughtful lyrics. Gonzalez is revered for his mellow covers of tunes by artists including The Knife, Bruce Springsteen, and Joy Division, but his original material -- like the foot-tapping "Down The Line" and the delicate "Every Age" -- is equally entrancing. In 2015 Gonzalez hits the road for his first solo tour in seven years -- a fact that has fans chomping at the bit for a chance to catch him in concert.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Folk singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez was born in Sweden to Argentinean parents and grew up listening to Latin folk and pop music. After stints performing in punk and hardcore bands as a teenager, Gonzalez launched his solo career with 2003's Veneer, a collection of entirely acoustic tracks that earned comparisons to Elliot Smith and Nick Drake. The album spawned hit singles "Crosses" and "Heartbeats" -- the latter a cover version of The Knife's 2003 track -- both of which became soundtrack staples for television shows like The O.C., One Tree Hill, and Scrubs. In 2005 Gonzalez teamed up with drummer Elias Araya and keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn to form the folk rock trio Junip. He returned to his solo career in 2007 with his sophomore album In Our Nature, which cracked the Top 5 of Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart. Over the next few years he released two albums with Junip, recorded songs for a handful of charity complications, and contributed three original songs to the soundtrack for the 2013 film The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. In 2014 Gonzalez announced plans for Vestiges & Claws -- his first solo album in seven years -- as well as a 2015 world tour, his first since 2008.