Although his parents are Argentine, singer/songwriter José González was born in Sweden, where he became nationally renowned for his mix of autumnal indie pop and intimate acoustics. Following stints with hardcore bands during the 1990s, González formed the indie rock outfit Junip alongside organist Elias Araya and drummer Tobias Winterkorn; they released their first EP, Straight Lines, in 2000. González officially launched his solo career with the release of 2003's Veneer, an entirely acoustic affair that reflected a childhood spent listening to equal parts bossa nova, classical, and post-punk by the likes of Joy Division. Touchstones for González's sound included Nick Drake, Paul Simon, Red House Painters, and Elliott Smith, and the album featured a popular cover of the Knife's "Heartbeats." A theme from "Heartbeats" was revealed in his work, and González recorded covers of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, "Hand on Your Heart" by Kylie Minogue, "The Ghost of Tom Joad" by Bruce Springsteen, and "Teardrop" by Massive Attack. José González has just released his first new music in six years, a single titled "El Invento" that is his first-ever Spanish language release.