Visionary singer-songwriter and guitarist José González has shared another new offering from his recently-announced 20th Anniversary Deluxe version of his uncompromising, candid, game-changing debut album (2003) Veneer.
Speaking on the track, José says: “I remember watching tv and on the lookout for another cover. There was a young Kylie dancing and smiling while singing about a breakup. I had seen the video many times before as it was a huge ‘80s hit, but hadn’t thought about the lyrics and how sad they were. My initial live versions were without the instrumental outro that I added for the studio recording. I was humbled and surprised to hear that Kylie liked the version and felt honored when she contacted me to do a duet for her documentary “White Diamond”. With the beautiful video by Andreas Nilsson, it’s one of my favorite tracks of my whole catalog.”
This release follows the previous sharing of the live version of “Hints”, also taken from the Gothenburg performance.
The deluxe version of Veneer 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 will see release on limited edition double clear vinyl and digitally on October 27th, 2023 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.
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.
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.” 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.
“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, Sweden – Göta Lejon
12/6/2023 – Gothenburg, Sweden, Draken
1/22/2024 – Madrid, ES – Teatro Gran Via
1/23/2024 – Utrecht, NL – Tivoli Redenburg
VENEER LIVE DATES:
8/12/2023 , Gothenburg, SE – Way Out West Festival
8/31/2023 – Lisbon – Kalorama Festival
9/2/2023 – Malaga, ES – Cala Mijas Festival
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
LOCAL VALLEY 2023 SOUTH AMERICAN DATES:
9/20/2023 – São Paulo, BR – Brazil Cine Joia
9/21/2023 – Rio de Janeiro, BR – Brazil Circo Voador
9/23/2023 – Bogota, CO – Festival Cordillera 2023
9/25/2023 – Montevideo, UY – La Trastienda Montevideo
9/26/2023 – Buenos Aires, AR – Teatro Coliseo
9/27/2023 – Santiago, CL – Teatro Coliseo
