Pop Quiz: Catching up with José González.
José González took eight years to deliver his latest solo album, “Vestiges & Claws,” but his fans never wavered. Most of the dates for the folkie Swedish singer-songwriter’s current tour sold out in minutes. Performing with a five-piece band will give him the opportunity to flesh out the intricate melodies of the new album while revealing the songs’ dark undercurrents. González, 36, who with his side band Junip was recently featured on the soundtrack of Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” will no doubt also pull out old favorites such as “Crosses” and his cover of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop.” We spoke with him during a tour stop in Chicago.
Q: What I like about your music is the contrast between the pretty, mellow melodies that you can play at a nice dinner party and the dark lyrics underneath that you really have to dig in for. Which side is a better reflection of your personality?
A: It’s a mixture. I’m aware how people enjoy my songs, and I think darkness comes out of the willingness to make things interesting. Lyrically, with this album I’m aiming at putting out questions more than anything else. As far as my personality, many times I’m an introvert and like to be in my own mind. But I also love having a beer and talking about nothing in par-
ticular.
Q: Are you a 24-hour news junkie?
A: I’m on and off with that. I made a decision to not follow the news on a day-to-day basis, especially when I’m on tour. But when I have the time, I can be. I don’t know if it’s good or bad to know what’s happening, but I don’t think everyone needs to know everything.
Q: In the time since you started, acoustic singer-songwriters such as Ed Sheeran and George Ezra are all over mainstream radio. Do you feel that you nudged that door open?
A: That was the case in Sweden. The radio wasn’t really playing my style of music. They were more into more produced and more poppy music. So when “Crosses” made it up to the top 10, I think that was true. I’m not sure if, in general, it’s too much of a compliment.
Q: What did you take away from working on Ben Stiller’s “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”?
A: It was a nice turn that was super unexpected. I was out touring with Junip, and I got the call, and he mentioned he had listened to “A Song Without You” and wanted me to try and write as much as possible for his movie. It was a really fun learning experience.