[Cover photo credit to Karl Andreasson]
Junip, the previous band project of José González, Tobias Winterkorn and Elias Araya, which is currently on hiatus since 2015, has shared a new version of “Line of Fire” with added vocals from Sharon Van Etten. 10 years on from the song’s original release on Junip’s self-titled 2013 album, the track is widely known for having been featured in the trailer for Breaking Bad. Junip is now revisiting the song as a duet with Sharon Van Etten as their first new music since 2013.
José González previously also reworked the song for his 2021 solo album Local Valley.
The track comes as a part of the soundtrack for the documentary Wild Life from Oscar-winning filmmakers Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, which “chronicles the close relationship of conservationist Kris Tompkins, the first CEO of outdoor brand Patagonia, and her husband Douglas Tompkins.” Wild Life is out on Disney+ and Hulu now.
Speaking of the track, González says:
We love the new version of LoF with Sharon Van Etten’s voice! We got asked by producer and filmmaker Jimmy Chin if we could think of a female voice to add to the song. Our thoughts went to Sharon with her beautiful voice and dramatic range. We’ve also toured together back in 2010 and even performed a duet towards the end of the run of shows and so it felt natural to reunite. As a duet the song has a different feel that fit the film perfectly.
Sharon Van Etten adds:
I was a fan of José González before I had the opportunity to tour with Junip in 2010. I was lucky enough to get to sing with him on stage all those years ago. I was able to witness José and his band go so quickly from sweet and sentimental to direct and piercing through their performances, not to mention how José’s guitar playing and songwriting deliver this specific gut punch that is unique to he and his band’s production. It was challenging to learn the complicated melody that José wrote and I worked hard to honor his phrasing. It was a welcome reconnection after not having been able to perform with him in some time. A welcomed reunion set to the backdrop of such a beautiful story.
José González will play at the Sydney Opera House on 5/28 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his debut Veneer. Next month on June 9th & 10th, he will continue the celebration and is slated to play two sold-out shows at London’s The Barbican.
