She & Him - Biography
By Marcus Kagler
When film director Martin Hynes suggested his star, Zooey Deschanel, accompany indie folk musician M. Ward on a song for his film The Go-Getter back in 2006, he accidentally aligned the stars for one of the more unique collaborative indie rock duos in recent years. Ward’s gentle folk pieces and Deschanel’s husky vocal melodies not only proved to be a perfect match but their group, She & Him, was also a legitimate band with most of the tracks on their debut full-length, Volume One (2008 Merge), penned by the actress rather than the seasoned musician. After that fateful day on a movie set, the duo set up shop at Ward’s studio in Portland, Oregon and began fleshing out songs Deschanel had been secreting writing over the course of several years. The result was an accomplished and adept indie folk sound with strong leanings toward 60’s girl group pop and the lush early Nashville sound. Self-produced with some assistance by Bright Eyes soundman Mike Mogis, Volume One was an instant critical darling. After making their official live debut at the 2008 South by Southwest Music and Arts Festival, the duo spent the better part of the year on a successful international tour.