IMPALA’s Independent Album of the Year Award goes to Swedish singer-songwriter José González for “Vestiges & Claws”.

This year’s shortlist put the spotlight on labels founded within the past 15 years, as part of IMPALA’s 15th anniversary.

Released in February 2015 by Stockholm-based Imperial Recordings, “Vestiges & Claws” is González’s third solo album. The artist and the label have been working together since 2002 when Imperial Recordings was launched. José González is also the frontman of folk rock band Junip.

Earlier this month, “Vestiges & Claws” received an IMPALA Silver Sales Award, which was handed over at the Swedish independent award show Manifestgalan in Stockholm, organised by SOM.

José González was shortlisted together with eighteen other artists, showcasing the musical talent and diversity of releases by young independents across Europe. José González’s album succeeds Caribou’s “Our Love” (City Slang). Among previous winners are Adele, The XX and Efterklang.

Just back from a sold-out Australian tour, José Gonzalez will embark next month on his third U.S. tour, together with yMusic, a 6-piece chamber orchestra from New York.

Here is a clip of José performing his new single “With The Ink Of A Ghost” together with yMusic.

Here is a link to the new single “With The Ink Of A Ghost” including a version featuring yMusic:
Spotify Apple Music / iTunes

Quotes
José González: “In a year with so much good independent music coming out of Europe I feel honoured to win the Album of the Year! I’m very happy for the attention.”

Imperial Recordings co-founders Magnus Bohman and Joakim Gävert added: “Thank you, this is a great honour for us. We’re happy to see José’s third album get this award and this kind of recognition.”

IMPALA Executive Chair Helen Smith also commented: “José González came out the clear winner. His album is a great example of what the special edition of the album of the year is all about – the outstanding work of artists signed to young independent music companies.”

You can also read a short interview with Imperial Recordings founders and owners Joakim Gävert and Magnus Bohman here.

More about José González
José González (born 1978) is a Swedish singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg. Along with Tobias Winterkorn and Elias Araya, González is also a member of Junip, a band which has been nominated for a previous IMPALA Album of the Year Award. José González’s official biography describes him as “a deep, artful thinker whose singular approach to song writing and sonics sets him worlds apart.”
More information: jose-gonzalez.com / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube channel

More about Imperial Recordings
Imperial Recordings was founded in 2002 by Magnus Bohman and Joakim Gävert. The label focusses on Swedish artists and also works with partners worldwide. It has its own publishing arm, Imperial Music Publishing, which is administered by Kobalt. In addition to José González, Imperial Recordings’ roster includes Promise and the Monster, Eskju Divine, Martin McFaul, Samuraj Cities, Melpo Mene, Gustaf Spetz, TLS, Kuriaki and Zeigeist (in co-op with Spegel).
More information: Twitter / Facebook

About IMPALA
IMPALA represents independent music companies and associations across Europe. Its mission is to grow the independent sector. To celebrate IMPALA’s 15th anniversary, various initiatives are taking place across Europe under the “IMPALA 15” banner, including special editions of the IMPALA awards and events at industry gatherings such as Amsterdam Dance Event, Eurosonic Noorderslag, Westway Lab, Primavera, Midem, Reeperbahn etc. IMPALA’s milestones illustrate what independents have achieved in 15 years of collective action at European level.
More information: www.impalamusic.org

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ WITH YMUSIC US TOUR DATES:

March 6 Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
March 7 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
March 8 Ashland, OR – Southern Oregon University
March 9 Arcata, CA – Humboldt State University
March 10 Santa Barbara, CA – UC Santa Barbara
March 11 Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
March 12 Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
March 13 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
March 15 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts Escondido
March 17 Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
March 19 Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
March 20 Minneapolis, MN – Pantages Theatre
March 21 Chicago, IL – Rockefeller Chapel
March 23 Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
March 24 New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
March 25 Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Hall
March 28 Washington, DC – Lisner Auditorium

Ticket info here

The new single

The new single “With the Ink of a Ghost” was just released world wide last Friday on February 26. The track is taken from the album “Vestiges & Claws” and will also include a yMusic version.

Track listing:

1. With the Ink of a Ghost
2. With the Ink of a Ghost (yMusic version)

Find the album “Vestiges & Claws” here:

Spotify: http://found.ee/JGSpotify
iTunes: http://found.ee/JGVCDigital
CD: http://found.ee/JGCD
LP: http://found.ee/JGLP

Artist links:

Web: www.jose-gonzalez.com
Facebook: http://found.ee/JGFB
Twitter: http://found.ee/JGTwitter
Instagram: http://found.ee/JGIG
YouTube: http://bit.ly/JoseGonzalezOfficialYouTube
SoundCloud: http://found.ee/JGSC
Mailing list: http://found.ee/JGMailingList
Hi res album cover and press photos: http://bit.ly/JoseGonzalezPressPhotos

Contact info:

Press:
Sweden – Christian Östlund, christian@skiva.se
Norway – Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se
Denmark – Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se
Finland – Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se

Record Label: Imperial Recordings, www.imperialrecordings.se

Licensees:
US & Canada – Mute Records, www.mute.com
UK & Eire – Peacefrog, www.peacefrog.com
GER, AU & CH – Peacefrog, www.peacefrog.com
FRA & Benelux – Peacefrog, www.peacefrog.com
Australia & New Zealand – Shock Records, www.shockrecords.com.au
Japan – Traffic Records, www.trafficjpn.com

Management: Morgan Johansson, morgan@moondog.se
Booking: Pitch & Smith, www.pitchandsmith.com

Distribution Nordic countries: Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se

José González is releasing a new single

February 26 the new single ”With The Ink Of A Ghost” from the album ”Vestiges & Claws” is released. The single also features a string version in collaboration with the American ensemble yMusic.

Go here to listen: Spotify Apple Music / iTunes

Watch José González perform “With the Ink of a Ghost” live with yMusic here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhCTqptQ9nI

José says about the music and the lyrics.

Music:

“I came up with the guitar parts when I was working on the music for
the movie ’Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ but the style didn’t fit that
well with the character so it ended up in my folder of unused
material. When I picked it up a couple of months later I decided to
try to make another ‘journey’ song with it, similar to Cycling
Trivialities from my previous album. I was thinking about it as one of
the classic songs on the album together with Open Book and The Forest
where I used traditional chord progressions and golden ratio
dramaturgy.

I love how it sounds together with yMusic. Rob Moose made an
arrangement that gave the song an even more classic and timeless
feeling.”

Lyrics:

“In this one I aimed at using metaphors and imagery without giving away
what the poem is about. There is a vague sense of agency, and the
mixture of images reflect the variation of impressions that can be
experienced in dreams.

I was thinking about trends/streams/forces that affect things in a
invisible or faint way. The feeling of something being steered by an
agent/person/spirit, but is happening on its own in a distinct
direction. Something that can seem predetermined when zooming out or
looking back.

‘Idle as a wave, moving out at sea. Cruising without sound, molding
what’s to be. Serene between the trails, serene with the time and ink
of a ghost.’ ”

After a sold out tour in Australia, including two shows at the Sydney Opera House, José will now set out on a US tour of 17 dates with the American ensemble yMusic. yMusic are six classical musicians (string trio, flute, clarinet and trumpet) from New York flourishing in the overlap between the pop and the classical worlds. The members of yMusic have toured and recorded with artists such as Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Björk, The National, Meredith Monk, Antony & the Johnsons, David Byrne, The New York Philharmonic och Sufjan Stevens.

Tour dates: http://jose-gonzalez.com/tour-dates/

Photos from Sydney Opera House by Prudence Upton http://bit.ly/1Qmfy8a

Artist links
Website: http://found.ee/JGWebsite
Spotify: http://found.ee/JGSpotify
Facebook: http://found.ee/JGFB

www.imperialrecordings.se

“With the Ink of a Ghost” is a track from José González’s album Vestiges & Claws, out now! This special version of the track was recorded with yMusic, a unique 6-piece chamber orchestra at Lincoln Center Out of Doors Summer series. Catch José on tour with yMusic in 2016! See dates below.

JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ WITH YMUSIC 2016 TOUR DATES:

March 6 Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre
March 7 Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
March 8 Ashland, OR – Southern Oregon University
March 9 Arcata, CA – Humboldt State University
March 10 Santa Barbara, CA – UC Santa Barbara
March 11 Los Angeles, CA – Walt Disney Concert Hall
March 13 Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
March 15 Escondido, CA – California Center for the Arts Escondido
March 17 Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
March 19 Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
March 20 Minneapolis, MN – Pantages Theatre
March 21 Chicago, IL – Rockefeller Chapel
March 23 Philadelphia, PA – Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
March 24 New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
March 25 Boston, MA – Berklee Performance Hall
March 28 Washington, DC – Lisner Auditorium

Click here to buy tickets: http://found.ee/JGFullTour

Find the album here:
iTunes: http://found.ee/JGVCDigital
CD: http://found.ee/JGCD
LP: http://found.ee/JGLP

Website: http://found.ee/JGWebsite
iTunes: http://found.ee/JGiTunes
Spotify: http://found.ee/JGSpotify
Facebook: http://found.ee/JGFB
Twitter: http://found.ee/JGTwitter
Instagram: http://found.ee/JGIG
SoundCloud: http://found.ee/JGSC
Mailing list: http://found.ee/JGMailingList

José González is back with his new album “Vestiges & Claws”, out today!

It’s been more than 7 years, but now José González is releasing his new album ”Vestiges & Claws”.

The album on iTunes

The album on Spotify

”Intimacy becomes José González latest minimalist masterpiece.” Magnet

”Vestiges & Claws is a fragile, exposed, reassuringly stark meditation on the human condition, with a warmth and life-affirming beauty that successfully ’reminds our restless souls of the beauty of being here at all’.” London In Stereo

”..another collection of equally beautiful songs that are fine company on a quiet night.” London Evening Standard

“José Gonzalez has been producing consistently brilliant, honest and moving music for a long time now and I can’t see that changing any time soon.” The 405

World Tour
Tomorrow José González starts off his sold-out world tour in Madrid (full tour schedule here: http://www.jose-gonzalez.com/tour/).

See José performing on Swedish TV4 Nyhetsmorgon last Saturday:

Open Book
The Forest

Artist links:

facebook.com/josegonzalezmusic
www.jose-gonzalez.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_josegonzalez_
Instagram: http://instagram.com/josegonzalezforeal/
José on YouTube: http://bit.ly/JoseGonzalezOfficialYouTube
Hi res album cover and press photos: http://bit.ly/JoseGonzalezPressPhotos

Contact info:

Press:
Sweden – Christian Östlund, christian@skiva.se
Norway – On It PR, mail@on-it-pr.com
Denmark – Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se
Finland – Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se

Record label: Imperial Recordings, www.imperialrecordings.se

Licensees:
UK & Eire – Peacefrog, www. peacefrog.com
GER, AU & CH – Peacefrog, www. peacefrog.com
FRA & Benelux – Peacefrog, www. peacefrog.com
US & Canada – Mute Records, www.mute.com
Australia & New Zealand – Shock Records, www.shockrecords.com.au
Japan – Traffic Records, www.trafficjpn.com

Management: Morgan Johansson, morgan@moondog.se

Distribution Nordic countries: Playground Music Scandinavia, www.playgroundmusic.se