With his crystal-clear singing voice and vibrant, classically-inspired playing, José González returns to New Zealand with his band for a very special show at Auckland’s St James Theatre on Wednesday, February 3.
González will be playing favourites from across his catalogue including his worldwide hit ‘Heartbeats’ and celebrating his first solo album in seven years, Vestiges And Claws.
Vestiges And Claws was produced by González in Gothenburg, Sweden. It consists of years’ worth of musical sketches that in other hands might naturally sprawl wildly in sound and style, but on Vestiges And Claws, González has created a collection of songs that cohere just about perfectly, ensuring his position as one of the most important artists of his generation.
The result is an album that is less purist, less strict. One can find traces of inspired protest songs and eccentric folk-rock on Vestiges And Claws: staccato grooves and rhythms, frustration and optimism. It’s a collection that is simultaneously confident, free and uncertain.
González said, “I started out thinking that I wanted to continue in the same minimalistic style as on my two previous records, but once I started the actual recordings I soon realised that most of the songs turned out better with added guitars and a more beat-like percussion, and with more backing vocals.”
González is looking forward to bringing the songs from Vestiges And Claws to life with a full band when he returns to Auckland in February.
The talented artist has been far from idle in the seven years since the release of his last solo record, In Our Nature. Besides making two Junip albums and touring the world both solo and with the band, González has been active in the studio in various contexts. One project in 2013 was his input to The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty soundtrack, directed by and starring Ben Stiller. Besides previously released González and Junip songs, the film also contains exclusively-written material as well as an interpretation of John Lennon’s ‘#9 Dream’.
Vestiges And Claws is, however, the first album where González has chosen to include exclusively original material, largely revolving around ideas of civilisation, humanism and solidarity.
González last toured New Zealand in 2008, with shows in Auckland, Queenstown and Wellignton.
Don’t miss the chance to see José González live in concert at the St James Theatre in Auckland on Wednesday, February 3.
