Visionary singer-songwriter-guitarist José González has announced today’s premiere of “Swing,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. The joyous new track is joined by an official music video, directed by longtime visual collaborator Mikel Cee Karlsson (Fever Ray, Junip) and streaming now at YouTube. The video saw its premiere earlier today via a TikTok livestream using the official hashtag #SwingYourBody, with the intention to inspire self-love, body positivity, confidence, and personal empowerment.
“‘Swing’ is a song with (almost) only good vibes!” says González. “It was musically inspired by high-life from West Africa and Caribbean music – layered light guitars and a melodic bass line on top of a beat from a drum machine app. It’s a song about dancing and following your natural impulses. It’s ok to move your butt whoever you are, wherever you are!”
“I was thinking of ideas for ‘Swing’ when I stumbled upon a scientific paper that focused on the behavioral patterns of birds and their movements in the sky,” says video director Karlsson. “I found the natural choreography of the birds really beautiful. Like a form of dance, shaped for survival.
“That gave me the idea to for an alternative kind of dance video, using everyday scenes and set in a commonplace, like an average Swedish beach. I wanted to see what natural choreography I could find there. In the basic interaction between people, animals, and objects. Trying to highlight specific movements and patterns in order to find some banal, but beautiful and iconic little snapshots from everyday life, and make them dance.”
“Swing” marks the latest track release from González’s eagerly awaited fourth solo album. LOCAL VALLEY will arrive via Mute on CD, standard black vinyl, limited edition colored vinyl, and at all digital platforms on September 17. Pre-orders are available now; an assortment of exclusive bundles featuring such limited-edition extras as signed art prints, an original portrait painting, and LOCAL VALLEY tote bag are available for pre-order at the official Jose González webstore HERE.
González will celebrate LOCAL VALLEY with an eagerly awaited U.S. co-headline tour alongside 2x GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright. The “Unfollow The Rules In The Local Valley Tour” begins September 20 at Kansas City, MO’s Uptown Theater and then travels through an October 1 performance at Glenside, PA’s historic Keswick Theatre. Tickets for all announced dates are on sale now; limited VIP tickets and an exclusive merch bundle are also available. González has also confirmed an upcoming series of European live dates, including headline shows and a number of top-billed festival performances. For complete details and ticket information, please visit jose-gonzalez.com/tour-dates.
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
LOCAL VALLEY WORLD TOUR 2021-2022
AUGUST
19-22 – Brecon Beacons, UK – Green Man Festival
25 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Kulturzentrum Schlachthof
26 – Hamburg, Germany – Stadtpark Hamburg
27 – Neustrelitz, Germany – Immergut Festival
SEPTEMBER
5 – Cabane des Becs de Bosson, Switzerland – PALP Festival
6 – Kirchberg, Luxembourg – Amphitheatre Park Kirchberg
20 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater *
21 – Des Moines, IA – Hoyt Sherman Place *
23 – Minneapolis, MN – Northrop At UMN *
24 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre *
25 – Carmel, IN - The Palladium at The Center For The Performing Arts *
26 – Detroit, MI –Cathedral Theatre at The Masonic Temple *
28 – Washington, DC – The Anthem *
29 – Boston, MA – The Orpheum Theatre *
30 – New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17 *
OCTOBER
2 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre *
NOVEMBER
4 – Antwerp, Belgium – Da Roma
5 – Paris, France – Le Trianon
6 – Köln, Germany - Carlswerk Victoria
7 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
8 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
9 – Berlin, Germany – Astra
DECEMBER
1 - Brighton, UK – Brighton Dome
2 – London, UK – Cadogan Hall
3 – Gateshead, UK – Sage Gateshead
4 – Liverpool, UK – Grand Central Hall
5 – Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
6 – Manchester, UK – Albert Hall
APRIL 2022
25 – Brussels, Belgium – Ancienne Belgique
27 – London, UK – The Roundhouse
* ALL U.S. DATES w/RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
# # #
González’s first new studio recording in more than five years, LOCAL VALLEY includes the recently premiered singles and videos, “Visions,” “El Invento,” and “Head On,” all available now at all DSPs and streaming services.
WATCH “VISIONS (LIVE AT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S EARTH DAY EVE 2021)”
Hailed by Rolling Stone as “someone whose subtle, carefully crafted music delivers rewards to listeners who know how to wait,” José González’s stellar career can only be described as a dream. Throughout it, he has won a range of honors, performed on high-profile network television shows, headlined prestigious festivals, sold-out concert venues on virtually all continents, and collaborated with Ben Stiller on his film, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. González’s warm, intimate voice and tender harmonies, underlined by a dexterously plucked Spanish guitar and muted percussion, deliver profoundly thoughtful lyrics largely revolving around ideas of civilization, humanism, and solidarity. A sincere, artful performer whose singular approach to songwriting and sonics sets him worlds apart, José González is in a class by himself.
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
LOCAL VALLEY
(Mute)
Release date: September 17, 2021
