An Interview with Jose González of Junip

Junip is Tobias Winterkorn, José González, Elias Araya (Photo: Jon Bergmann)

In an unexpected and heartwarming turn of events, González, a successful solo artist, has rejoined his Swedish boyhood brethren to finish and tour on behalf of the band’s recently released first record. The record as it turns out, has its origins dating back to the late 90s - about five years before González won a legion of fans for his 2003 cover of "Heartbeats" by The Knife.

(Many will remember the song from Sony's beautifully hypnotic commercial featuring hundreds of thousands of bouncy balls bounding through San Francisco.)

According to Junip's official bio, “patience and perfectionism, frustration and persistence, sheer bloody-mindedness, inspiration and success” are all cited as reasons for the protracted timeline of their first LP.

Thankfully for area fans who lack the band's noted patience, the trio from Gothenburg has made Seattle a regular stop on their touring schedule. Less than six months after the band's summer show at The Vera Project, the band returns to Seattle this Wednesday for a headlining gig at Neumos with Sharon Van Etten and Joshua Morrison. We were lucky enough to catch up with González before the band's return.

Wednesday, 8 p.m. // Neumos // $15

For those not yet familiar with your work, what key elements might help them identify what they’re hearing as Junip?

We play some sort of folk rock, sometimes with hint of kraut and psych. The setting is acoustic guitar, keyboards, drums, congas and bass.

What artists/acts would you cite as some of the most prominent in your development as a band?

We've had many different inspirations when we wrote the album. We usually mention: Shuggie Otis, Bill Withers, Arthur Verocai, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Linda Perhacs, Madvillain, Fela Kuti, Bo Hansson, Yo la Tengo..

From what subjects do you all derive inspiration, and how does an inspiration make its way into a song?

We always start by jamming together and recording our sessions, then we listen through and pick out the best parts and make songs out of them. Only last minute I write the lyrics. Then it's always depending on the feeling of that particular song.

What prompted you to perform in English rather than in your native tongue?

I didn't reflect that much about it when I started to write when I was 15. A lot of the music I listened to was in English and most of all my friends sang in English. Today I feel like I could try Swedish or Spanish... maybe next album?

Are there certain aspects of your musical personality that you identify as most reflective of your Scandinavian upbringing?

I wouldn't say that we sound particularly Scandinavian in any way. The influences come mainly from foreign bands except for maybe Hansson & Karlsson and Dungen.

Are there any current Seattle bands that make it to your regular van/bus/personal playlists?

We used to listen a lot to Sunny Real Estate and Jeremy Enigk's 'Return of the Frog Queen' was one of my favorite albums when we started Junip around 98. Other bands we listen to are Tiny Vipers, Fleet Foxes, Botch and Sir Mix-a-Lot .

What does a typical day on tour look like?

Wake up in the bus, venue is closed so you go for a walk with messy hair, grab a coffee get back, venue is open, take a shower check the interweb, load in the gear, souncheck, eat, take another walk, watch the opening act, play some of our favorite songs on the PA, drink a bit, go onstage, hang out with people after the show, drink and maybe dance if it's a good day, load out, get in the bus and hang out, go to sleep.

Anything planned for any free time you’ll have while in Seattle?

It's always nice to visit a museum, a record shop or run around in some park. The people at the venues always have ideas of what to do nearby.

What's next for you through the end of the year and beyond?

After the US tour we go to Australia and we'll continue to do shows until next fall. Meanwhile we'll be writing new songs, both solo and with Junip.