Evening sun has made its way into the Michelberger’s bar and into José González’s face. It makes sense to drink summer wine while talking about the Swedish principle of “lagom,” about curiosity in times of upheaval and about the time the way to the pool led him over a balcony.
ME: We already took care of the most important thing before we sat down – the orange wine was ordered. How nice that I was able to convince you of this even though you first wanted a beer. What was that about?
Jose Gonzalez: As a rule, I prefer beer if I don’t eat anything with it. But then I heard you talking about it, and with the good weather it suddenly sounded nice and light and relaxed – like a celebration of spring. The main thing is no red wine! For me it really only works with food. I’m not used to drinking much anymore anyway. That was different.
Here’s to the warmth and change!
I’d like to toast to that. I have ambitions to live healthier – for myself and my family. But this lifestyle also includes making exceptions in social situations and celebrating togetherness.
That seems reasonable.
And is important for the psyche. After over 20 years of touring, I know I need breaks. I also learned this from a ring I wore for a while that measured my heart rate and sleep. You often think that alcohol makes you sleep better, but it actually makes your heart beat more restlessly.
And yet you don’t deny yourself the wine.
I also know that pizza isn’t the best food for me, and I eat it anyway. In Swedish there is the word “lagom”, which means “just enough”. That’s what I stick to: It’s about living life, but not acting completely irresponsibly.
Living life – what did that look like for you recently?
I spent a lot of time with my family. With my friends. With writing. With concerts. Being present in the moment is not easy for me; I had to learn that. About ten years ago I started consciously turning down tour opportunities and taking breaks. Before that, a lot of things were like a rush. When I moved from college to music, everything felt new and intense. I traveled to places I had never seen before. A lot of things also happened quickly in private life: long relationships were immediately followed by new ones. Today I have been in a relationship for almost 13 years, have two children and have experienced a lot – the children growing up, all the places through music. This helps me appreciate the moment more. It feels more harmonious. I also meditate now.
Who would you like to have a drink with, dead or alive?
With Nina Simone. She had a strong personality and I would have loved to spend time with her.
Are you actually a foodie?
I approach food more like David Attenborough: What does what and how we eat say about us as humans?
How do people behave in your eyes?
If you look at how much we have achieved, how many diseases we have found solutions for so that you can live with certain things, there are good developments. Even though there is a lot of negative talk about artificial intelligence, I think: Maybe it will get us to the point where people do more of what they really want to do.
I didn’t expect such an answer. So I’m excited for your next one: Did you always know what you wanted to do?
Not really. First I wanted to skate, then make music. Then I went into biochemistry and only pursued music on the side. Today it feels right to put music at the center. It’s comfortable to release an album and tour every few years. I don’t know exactly what the future holds. Music will definitely remain a part of my life. Probably concerts too. But perhaps less of my music will be used in films or series – if you can quickly create many similar pieces using AI, that would of course be cheaper.
Looking at your relaxed expression and tone of voice, it doesn’t seem to really bother you.
No. I have a home, my family is well. Even if my income drops, I don’t think I’ll lose my job completely. There will still be concerts. People with money will be willing to buy tickets to shows. But in movies, music might be worth less if alternatives are readily available.
Your new album AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT is also about responsibility. How can we do justice to this?
This isn’t easy. Zero-sum thinking often dominates politics: If someone wins, someone else loses. But that’s not how the world works. An example is the USA and China: the idea that one’s gain automatically means the other’s loss leads to dominance thinking – and that is not a good approach for this time of upheaval. Another problem is the dwindling trust in institutions. Imperfect institutions are still better than none at all.
Says the person who places his glass so wobbly on the corner. You probably like taking risks.
Actually not. My son and I are rather cautious – I was that way as a child. I never did the craziest tricks when skateboarding. There are different types of risk. A friend of mine likes to fly paragliders – I would never do that. As a parent, you want to encourage your child to try things, but not to take stupid risks. It’s about balance. Of course you make mistakes in life – me too. Alcohol makes it difficult to correctly assess risks. I remember a moment in LA when I drunkenly jumped off a balcony into a pool…
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More about José Gonzalez
Checking realities without being hopeless: That’s exactly how AGAINST THE DYING OF THE LIGHT by José González arrives. It is the fifth record by the singer/songwriter, who was born in Gothenburg in 1978 as the son of Argentinian immigrants. The album was released at the end of March, and the man with the cloud-soft voice and precise fingerpicking can be seen for three concerts in Germany in May – further gigs will follow in October and November.
More about “At the Bar”
In our “At the Bar” series, artists meet with ME host Hella Wittenberg in a cozy atmosphere at the bar for a deep talk. More from “At the Bar” can also be found on our website www.musikexpress.de.