Greg Gonzalez | |
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![]() Gonzalez in 2019 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Gregory Steven Gonzalez |
Born | El Paso, Texas, U.S. | September 28, 1982
Occupations |
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Instruments |
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Years active | 2008-present |
Member of | Cigarettes After Sex |
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.
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. [5] The band released their self-titled debut studio album in 2017.
Cigarettes After Sex's second album Cry was released in 2019. [8]
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.' [9] [10] [11]
Gonzalez and Cigarettes After Sex released their third album X's in 2024.