The guy with the silk-smooth voice who sang a cover of the Knife song, ”Hearbeats,” accompanied by a bunch of colorful bouncy balls in Sony’s TV commercial is known for much more than that. Besides his solo career, José González has enjoyed success with his native band Junip. Together with childhood friends and musicians Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn, Junip have been making solemn, high quality music since the band’s birth in 1999.

About a year after Junip was formed, their debut 7” EP, Straight Lines, was released on the record label Kakafoni. Since then, three EPs and a full-length album has come out of the musical geniality that is Junip, among them a dramatic and grandios cover of the Bruce Springsteen song ”The Ghost of Tom Joad”.

González was schooled as a classic guitarist and his amazing guitar skills and particular voice has naturally become the fundamental ground the band stands on. However, Araya and Winterkorn are an essential part of Junip’s success as well. Together, they create music you won’t hear from anyone else.

Yet, due to González’s solo carrier, Araya’s artistic ambitions and Winterkorn’s other music projects, they have not been the most consistent of bands. Years usually pass between every release, which some might see as a shame but they are a band who isn’t in any rush. Every song and release is very well thought through, and therefore the result is almost always near perfection.

So if you enjoy José González as a solo artist, and want to dive deeper into the world of post-pop music from the Swedish east coast, be sure not to miss Junip perform this Friday. The gig will be an undoubtedly flawless show at one of our favorite venues, Södra Teatern.

Words by David Johansson

Junip is at Södra Teatern on 29 November.