Greg Gonzalez Explained

Gregory Steven Gonzalez (born September 28, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is best known for being the founder, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Cigarettes After Sex.

Life and career

Born on September 28, 1982 in El Paso, Texas,^[1] Gonzalez began his interest in music at the age of 10, when he bought his first guitar and immediately started writing songs, leading to his first-written song, "The Ocean", which was an instrumental.^[2] At the same age, he first introduced himself to heavy metal music, which he learned to play the guitar from and later joined a metal band.^[3] Attempting to find his musical style, he would then experiment with jazz and dance music styles.^[4] Growing up, Gonzalez was heavily inspired by French singer Françoise Hardy and her album La question (1971),^[5] along with other artists such as Marvin Gaye, the Everly Brothers and Chet Baker.^[6]

Wanting to be part of a "huge" band, Gonzalez would form Cigarettes After Sex in his hometown in 2008.^[7] Four years after their formation, they released their debut EP I., which was recorded in a four-floor stairway at the University of Texas at El Paso.

In 2022, Gonzalez released Charm of Pleasure, a collaborative EP with Italian composer Daniele Luppi, which was supported by two singles; "You Never Loved" and "The Rose You Kept." along with three more songs into the album 'Charm Of Pleasure.'^{[8] [9] [10]}

Discography

Extended plays

• Charm of Pleasure (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)

Album "Charm Of Pleasure"

• "You Never Loved" (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)
• "The Rose You Kept" (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)
• "Silent Dream" (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)
• "Another Life" (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)
• "Last Drink" (with Daniele Luppi) (2022)

Notes and References

1. News: fr. Philippe Chassepot. Greg Gonzalez, Texan décomplexé. May 19, 2017. Le Temps. September 21, 2023.
2. Web site: Cigarettes After Sex. November 7, 2023. Platform.
3. Web site: fr. Davet. Stéphane. Cigarettes After Sex, une pop à combustion lente. July 28, 2017. Le Monde. September 21, 2023.
4. Web site: fr. Greg Gonzalez – Cigarettes After Sex : un romantique assumé. May 25, 2018. Rolling Stone. September 21, 2023.
5. Web site: Cacouris. Christina. The Diehard Romanticism of Cigarettes After Sex. February 17, 2016. July 10, 2024. Vice. 28 October 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161028020323/https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/the-diehard-romanticism-of-cigarettes-after-sex. live.
6. Web site: O'Connor. Roisin. Cigarettes After Sex's Greg Gonzalez: 'I'm not bitter. I don't write from that place'. July 10, 2024. July 10, 2024. The Independent.
7. Curran. Shaun. Greg Gonzalez: Cigarettes After Sex frontman on going viral, writing explicit lyrics, and the ritual behind the band's name. May 28, 2018. The Independent. September 21, 2023.
8. Web site: Daniele Luppi and Cigarettes After Sex's Greg Gonzalez Announce EP, Share Video for Lead Single. Arnone. Joey. July 27, 2022. December 2, 2023. Under the Radar.
9. Web site: Daniele Luppi And Greg Gonzalez Unveil Charm Of Pleasure Project. Sexton. Paul. July 27, 2022. November 7, 2023. DiscoverMusic.
10. Web site: Silent Dream. Zanes. Anna. October 12, 2022. December 2, 2023. Office.