Junip, Acrylics & High Highs played Bowery Ballroom (pics)

photos by Winnie Cheung

PopMatters: José, at what point did you so decide you wanted to focus your creative energies on Junip?

José González: : Ever since I started touring seven years ago. After my first album [Veneer], our first attempt with Junip was in 2005. I've been really bad at saying "no: to stuff, so I was always headed back out on tour. So in 2008 it needed us to just put our foot down and decide properly that "next year we're going to record it, right? Right?!'

PopMatters: Do you work better when you set a deadline for yourself like that?

José González: It wasn't a deadline. It was more about a start line. More about saying 'no' to other stuff--not having a deadline, but starting to write and letting it take the time it needs. Deadlines are bad actually.

PopMatters: You guys met on the hardcore scene in Gothenburg in the 90's, which coincided with the city's death metal scene.

Tobias Winterkorn: I played bass in a death metal band. Very briefly. Some death metal stuff is quite good. I liked it more than I liked the hardcore scene for example.

José González: And Elias used to play drums in a death metal band.