For the 20th anniversary of the debut album by José González, we take a detailed look at how it was made. After getting his start playing in hardcore bands in Gothenburg, Sweden in the 1990s, José González began studying biochemistry at the University of Gothenburg. While he was a student, he continued playing in multiple bands while recording his solo material on the side. His band Junip was working with a local label called Kakafoni and they agreed to release a 7-inch of the solo songs he was recording on a 4-track. The “Hints” and “Deadweight on Velveteen” single found its way to Joakim Gävert, who was starting a new label called Imperial Recordings with Magnus Bohman. They signed González to a deal and released the Crosses EP in the spring of 2003. The full-length album, Veneer, followed in the fall of 2003.

In this episode, José González describes taking a new approach with his solo work by playing classical guitar and embracing minimal arrangements. By recording in his small apartment with inexpensive equipment and pirated software, he describes how these limitations helped shaped his sound. In addition, González describes reaching a breaking point in his mental health during this time when he was overwhelmed with his studies, personal relationships, and a lack of sleep, which led to him being institutionalized before the album was completed. From switching to music as a relief from biochemistry to discovering Nick Drake and alternate tunings to overdriving cheap tubes for added drama to an impromptu cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats” that became a classic, we’ll hear the stories around how the record came together.