photo credit: Erik Undehn
”Twenty years ago, something magical happened. In the space between technology and ideology, two terms that have been fighting each other to define the days that have come since, an album appeared. A collection of songs that seemed defiantly out of place. Yet somehow these songs knew themselves. Which, thinking back on it now, better explains why their creator, a young Swedish musician called José González, felt so familiar to us so quickly.” - Zane Lowe on José González’ Veneer.
Today visionary singer-songwriter and guitarist José González releases the 20th Anniversary Deluxe version of his uncompromising, candid, game-changing debut album (2003) Veneer. It features newly remastered audio of the seminal album as well as a bonus disc, comprising 13 intimate recordings from his historic 2003 performance at Gothenburg Concert Hall.
The 20th Anniversary Deluxe Version of Veneer is released on limited edition double clear vinyl and digitally today via Mute. It features a hand-numbered gatefold and 24-page booklet filled with archival photos, essays, a song-by-song guide from José and more. Purchase it HERE.
Veneer made an indelible mark in its understated, expressive brilliance and cemented José González as a meticulous sonic craftsman and songwriter of singular talent. It’s hard to believe an album recorded with the most basic equipment in a cramped Gothenburg flat could end up going platinum, not only in Sweden but also the UK, selling well over 1 million copies worldwide. It’s harder still when one acknowledges that, aside from one brief trumpet solo and the slightest hint of percussion, the record features just one hushed voice and the dexterous picking of an acoustic guitar’s nylon strings. But 2003’s Veneer was such an album, charting in several countries in the world, and eventually making Top 10 in the UK, thanks in part to its delicate, evocative cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”.
Amidst a period of flux in his life and coming to terms with his own rising prominence as a musician, José reflects on some of the meaning behind the album’s title: "The word 'veneer' describes the thin material used to make cheap wood look expensive, and it's also used to indicate other superficially appealing exteriors for what might otherwise seem less attractive, whether that's buildings or teeth. I chose it to refer to the feeling that things are not as they appear or are pretending to be something they aren't. Partly I was thinking about other people and how they behaved, saying things as if they were in a game or in the theatre. Nonetheless, I was also thinking of myself and my music, like I was trying to be someone I wasn't."
To further mark this milestone release, González has announced that he will return to North America in April 2024 to perform Veneer in its entirety (along with his other classics) for a select run of dates, listed below. Tickets are on sale HERE. José also recently announced 2023 North American dates highlighting the film A Tiger In Paradise, directed by close collaborator Mikel Cee Karlsson. The creative documentary is described as “a visual journey into José González’s inner world of thoughts and shadows, an intimate look at the creative, sharp and fragile mind behind the music.” It was also recently announced that global streaming service, film distributor, and production company MUBI is set to release the film
The hybrid events will consist of a film screening followed by a conversation between José González and director Mikel Cee Karlsson, where they explore the film’s themes, how it all connects to José’s music, lyrics and worldview, and tie it all together with a live solo performance by José. These dates are also listed below.
PRAISE FOR VENEER:
“A stunning collection of subdued acoustic folk music” - NPR
“The distinctive finger-picking on "Crosses", the best original song on the disc, rises like the spires of a Gothic cathedral, giving form to lyrics about a redemptive light in the darkness.” - Pitchfork
“His stripped, heartbreaking songs are unpolished (production-wise) and his guitar and vocals are sometimes double-tracked a lá Elliott Smith. Standout cuts like "Heartbeat" and "Lovestain" are cold and circular, perfect in their imperfections and for the upcoming snowy season. This is his first output available to American audiences, an extremely promising example of big things to come.” - Billboard
“...Gonzalez is a gifted Swedish singer-songwriter of Argentinean descent, whose deft, syncopated finger picking and hushed vocals are hypnotic, and never moreso than when he covers the Knife’s “Heartbeats”, turning a synth pop assault into a heartbreaking lullaby.” - Entertainment Weekly
“it's an album that longs to be heard, and after you hear it, you'll be longing to listen to it over and over.” - Pop Matters
"Everything about guitarist-songwriter Jose Gonzalez surprises you. The first surprise is that he's Swedish. Second, unlike most of his rock-crazed countrymen, Gonzalez's hushed, solo acoustic guitar work recalls the eclectic yet introspective "folk" of British troubadours Bert Jansch and Nick Drake… "Veneer" really is a kindred spirit to Drake's classic "Pink Moon"..." - Chicago Tribune
“An Exclusive Evening With José González” A Tiger In Paradise film + talk + performance dates:
11/6/2023 - Los Angeles, CA - The Ace Hotel Downtown LA
11/7/2023 - San Francisco, CA - The Castro Theatre
11/8/2023 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre
11/10/2023 - St. Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theater
11/11/2023 - Skokie, IL - North Shore Center
11/13/2023 - Washington DC - The Lincoln
11/14/2023 - New York, NY - Town Hall
11/15/2023 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
12/5/2023 – Stockholm, SE – Göta Lejon
12/6/2023 – Gothenburg, SE – Draken
1/22/2024 - Madrid, ES - Teatro Gran Via
1/23/2024 – Utrecht, NL– Tivoli Redenburg
1/24/2024 – Paris, FR – Alhambra
1/25/2024 – London, UK – Earth
Tickets can be found HERE.
VENEER LIVE DATES:
2/15/2024 - Berlin, DE - Theater des Westens
4/23/2024 - Vancouver, BC - The Orpheum
4/24/2024 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
4/26/2024 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
4/27/2024 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
4/28/2024 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theater
4/29/2024 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre
5/1/2024 - Miami Beach, FL - Miami Beach Bandshell
Tickets can be found HERE. 
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