She & Him

She & Him

She & Him (Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward) at the Newport Folk Festival (2 August 2008)
Background information
Origin Portland, Oregon, United States
Genres Indie pop, indie folk, sunshine pop, doo-wop, rock and roll, surf rock, R&B, Jazz
Years active 2006–present
Labels Merge, Double Six, Columbia
Associated acts If All the Stars Were Pretty Babies, Monsters of Folk
Website www.sheandhim.com
Members Zooey Deschanel
M. Ward

She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele[1]) and M. Ward (guitar, production).[2] The band's first album, Volume One, was released on Merge Records in March 2008.[3] The duo is augmented by session musicians Scott McPherson (drums), Chris Scruggs (pedal steel guitar, mandolin) and Mike Coykendall (bass, guitar).[4] Their 'indie' sound incorporates multiple musical genres such as folk music, sunshine pop, and surf rock, taking influence from the work of producers such as Phil Spector.

History

Formation

Deschanel and Ward first met on the set of the film The Go-Getter, in which Deschanel had a starring role. The director, Martin Hynes, introduced them to each other and asked them to sing a duet together to be played at the end credits of the film. They decided to perform a Richard and Linda Thompson song titled "When I Get to the Border."[5] The two bonded over a shared interest in the records produced by George Martin and Phil Spector, as well as certain Ralph Peer groups, such as the Carter Family.[6]

Ward, having heard Deschanel sing previously in the film Elf, was surprised to learn that she wrote songs herself, but hadn't pursued a career in music. Deschanel commented in an interview with Venus Zine: “I always thought I would be able to sing and act, but at a certain point, it became difficult for me to share the music part. So I was writing a ton of music, but not really doing anything with it. I didn't really know exactly who to collaborate with… until I met Matt, and everything seemed to fall into place.”[7] Deschanel had actually done years' worth of home demos, but was shy about becoming a big-name celebrity.[8] On a whim, she decided to send them to Ward.[6] Ward called her a short time later, telling her that he would like to record her songs properly, and their band She & Him was formed. Deschanel said in an interview: "I always have loved music, ever since I was really little. I just loved to sing."[9]

2006–2008: Collaboration and Volume One

The pair originally collaborated via e-mail, with Ward working out of his Portland, Oregon studio and Deschanel in her Los Angeles, California home. The city had a huge influence on Deschanel's songwriting and music, evoking long drives along the coastal roads listening to Brian Wilson and golden oldies, jam music on 1970s AM radio.[6][8] The Californian music scene also fed into Ward's production of the album, to such an extent that it inspired some of his later guitar work with alt-country singers like Jenny Lewis.

They recorded in Portland, Oregon in December 2006 as well as from February to March in 2007. The album was completed in three sessions. They also recorded in Mike Coykendall's and Adam Selzer's studios, and had a mixing session with Mike Mogis in his Omaha, Nebraska studio in either April or May 2007. Deschanel wrote all the original songs on the album except "Sweet Darlin'", which she co-wrote with Jason Schwartzman (an actor known for his frequent collaborations with Wes Anderson). In addition to the ten original songs, the album features two cover songs: "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (composed by Smokey Robinson) and "I Should Have Known Better" (composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney).

They took a break after that as Ward was on tour and Deschanel was filming a movie. Their album was released on March 18, 2008. Their first public appearance as a band, however, was a year and two months earlier at the Sundance screening of The Go-Getter. They performed sporadically at other events and kicked off their first tour in the summer of 2008. Paste Magazine declared She & Him's debut the No. 1 album of the year.[10]

She & Him performing at the Newport Folk Festival (2 August 2008)

She & Him performed at the South by Southwest festival in March 2008[11][12] and went on tour during July and August 2008. Becky Stark of the band Lavender Diamond provided backup vocals.[13]

2010: Volume Two

On March 17, 2010, She & Him released their second album, Volume Two. The album features 11 original songs written by Zooey and covers of NRBQ's 1977 single "Ridin' in My Car" and Patience and Prudence's "Gonna Get Along Without You Now", as well as a guest appearance from the indie pop group Tilly and the Wall on the track "In the Sun".

She & Him toured through the spring of 2010.[14] They performed concerts throughout the United States including the music festivals South by Southwest, Coachella, Bonnaroo, Savannah, Sasquatch, Nateva, Verge and the inaugural LouFest in St. Louis, headlining with the likes of Broken Social Scene, Jeff Tweedy and Built to Spill. They also toured Europe, visiting London, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, and Amsterdam. They were chosen by Matt Groening to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in England.[15]

2011–2013: A Very She & Him Christmas and Volume 3

A Very She & Him Christmas was announced on Pitchfork.com in September 2011. The twelve track Christmas album was released October 24, 2011 under Merge Records.[16] Amazon.com said on 29 December 2011 that the album was one of its top three best-selling MP3-albums over the Christmas period.[17]

Deschanel confirmed on Twitter that a new album would be released in early 2013.[18] Volume 3 was subsequently announced, with a release date of May 7, 2013 (May 13, 2013 for Europe).[19] She & Him toured the US and Canada in support of Volume 3 in the summer of 2013.[20] Supporting acts along the tour included Tilly and The Wall, Camera Obscura, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell and The Chapin Sisters.

2014–present: Record label change and Classics

On June 27, 2014, it was announced that She & Him had left independent label Merge Records and had joined major label Columbia Records, with their fifth studio album, Classics, scheduled to be released later in the year.[21][22] The next month, Deschanel and Ward were photographed with Brian Wilson in the studio recording his forthcoming album No Pier Pressure which features Deschanel as a guest vocalist on the cha-cha-esque track "On the Island".[23] On September 15, 2016, She & Him announced the forthcoming release of their second holiday album, Christmas Party, in October of that year.[24]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US
[25]		 US
Alt
[26]		 US
Folk
[27]		 US Indie
[28]		 US Rock
[29]		 AUS
[30]		 BEL
[31]		 FRA
[32]		 GRE
[33]		 SWE
[34]		 UK
Volume One 71 18 — 8 — — — — — — —
Volume Two
  • Release date: March 23, 2010
  • Label: P-Vine/Merge Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 6 1 1 1 1 49 67 104 45 28 62
A Very She & Him Christmas
  • Release Date: October 24, 2011
  • Label: Merge Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download
 12 2 1 2 3 91 — — — — 145
Volume 3
  • Release date: May 7, 2013
  • Label: Merge Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
 15 3 1 2 3 53 67 — — 37 63
Classics
  • Release date: December 2, 2014
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
 41 4 1 — 7 77 — — — — —
Christmas Party
  • Release date: October 28, 2016[35]
  • Label: Columbia Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, cassette, digital download
 — 14 5 — 23 — — — — — —

"—" Denotes territory in which album did not chart

EPs

Title Album details
The Capitol Studios Session – EP

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Album
US US Singles Sales US AC BEL FRA
2008 "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"/"Lotta Love"[37] — — — — — Volume One
2010 "In the Sun"/"I Can Hear Music"[38] — 4 — — 89 Volume Two
"Thieves"/"I Knew It Would Happen This Way"[39] — 35 — — —
"I Put a Spell on You"/"Lingering Still"[40] — — — — — Single only
2011 "Baby, It's Cold Outside"[41] — — 16 — — A Very She & Him Christmas
2013 "Never Wanted Your Love"[42] — — — 138 — Volume 3
"I Could've Been Your Girl"[43] — — — — —

Other appearances

Year Title Album
2007 "When I Get to the Border" The Go-Getter – Soundtrack
2008 "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" Starbucks' "Have You Heard"
2009 "Never Had Nobody Like You" Hold Time
"Rave On!" (cover of Buddy Holly)
"I Put a Spell on You" Starbucks' Sweetheart 2
"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" (cover of The Smiths) 500 Days of Summer – Soundtrack
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" SCORE! Holiday Bonus
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (cover of The Miracles) This Is Us (Songs From Where You Live)
2010 "Earth" Chickens in Love: An Album to Benefit 826la[44]
"Fools Rush In" (free download) Levi's Pioneer Sessions 2010 Revival Recordings[45]
"Wouldn't It Be Nice" LA Times Food & Wine Festival
"Shape I'm In" (free download) Levi's Shape What's to Come[46]
2011 "Oh Boy" Rave On Buddy Holly
"Winnie the Pooh" Winnie the Pooh – Soundtrack
"So Long"
2013 "King of the Road" (cover of Roger Miller) Sweet Relief III: Pennies From Heaven
2015 "On the Island" (Brian Wilson featuring She & Him) No Pier Pressure

Music videos

Year Title Director
2008 "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" Ace Norton
2010 "In the Sun" Peyton Reed
"Thieves" Norwood Cheek
2011 "Don't Look Back" Jeremy Konner
"Brand New Shoes" Sam Jones
2012 "Baby, It's Cold Outside" Elliot Dear
2013 "I Could've Been Your Girl" Zooey Deschanel
2014 "Stay Awhile" CANADA

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (12 July 2010). "The Flaming Lips, She And Him Pound Out Some Joy At The Forecastle Festival". Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Scaggs, Austin. "Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon" Rolling Stone, February 5, 2008.
  3. ↑ Solarski, Matthew. "M. Ward/Zooey Deschanel Album Details Surface" Pitchfork Media, January 11, 2008.
  4. ↑ Hasty, Katie. "Ward Helps Deschanel Find Her Voice" Billboard, January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Breaking Artist: She and Him". Rolling Stone. March 5, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 "She & Him, Jenny Lewis, Jakob Dylan". Spectacle. Season 1. Episode 11. 2008.
  7. ↑ "Venus Zine: Hottt List: She & Him" Venus Zine Winter 2008 Issue
  8. 1 2 Ryzik, Melena (2008-04-16). "On a New Album, Not Merely Acting Like a Singer". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  9. ↑ Archived January 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ "Signs of Life 2008: Best Music :: Music :: Features :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  11. ↑ Solarski, Matthew. "M. Ward, Zooey Deschanel Reveal She & Him LP Details" Pitchfork Media, January 22, 2008.
  12. ↑ "She & Him perform live from SXSW | The Current from". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  13. ↑ Maerz, Melissa (2008-06-23). "Zooey Deschanel to be joined by Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark on the road this summer | Inside TV | EW.com". Hollywoodinsider.ew.com. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  14. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20100201131444/http://www.sheandhim.com/sheandhim.php?. Archived from the original on February 1, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2010. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2011-09-08). "She & Him Reveal Christmas Album | News". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  17. ↑ Amazon.com Press Release 29 December 2011
  18. ↑ "Twitter / ZooeyDeschanel: Very excited to say @sheandhim". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  19. ↑ "She & Him Announce New Album, Tour | News". Pitchfork. 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  20. ↑ Kane, Tyler (2013-01-29). "She & Him Announce Volume 3, Tour Dates". www.pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  21. ↑ "Hollywood Reporter". Retrieved 2014-06-27.
  22. ↑ "Twitter". Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  23. ↑ Fine, Jason (July 18, 2014). "Brian Wilson's Girl-Powered LP: In the Studio With the Beach Boy". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 18, 2014.
  24. ↑ Guilbault, Kristy (September 15, 2016). "She & Him Announce Second Holiday Album, Christmas Party". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  25. ↑ "She & Him Album & Song Chart History – Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  26. ↑ "She & Him Album & Song Chart History – Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  27. ↑ "She & Him Album & Song Chart History – Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  28. ↑ "She & Him Album & Song Chart History – Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  29. ↑ "She & Him Album & Song Chart History – Rock Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  30. ↑ "australian-charts.com – Australian charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  31. ↑ "ultratop.be – Belgium charts portal". Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  32. ↑ "lescharts.com – French charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  33. ↑ "greekcharts.com – Greek charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  34. ↑ "swedishcharts.com – Swedish charts portal". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  35. ↑ Yoo, Noah (September 16, 2016). "She & Him Announce Christmas Party Holiday Album". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  36. ↑ https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/capitol-studios-session-ep/id748607518
  37. ↑
  38. ↑ "She & Him: In the Sun B/W I Can Hear Music". Merge Records. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  39. ↑ "She & Him go thieving". The Music Fix. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  40. ↑ "I Put a Spell on You / Lingering Still by She & Him : Reviews and Ratings". Rate Your Music. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  41. ↑ "Chart Highlights: Taio Cruz's 'Hangover' Debuts On Pop Songs – Chart Beat". Billboard. 2011-11-29. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  42. ↑ Sharp, Stephanie (2013-03-07). "She & Him Release New Single, "Never Wanted Your Love"". www.pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2013-03-08.
  43. ↑ "I Could've Been Your Girl by She & Him Reviews and Ratings – Rate Your Music". 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
  44. ↑ Archived April 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  45. ↑ "levispioneersessions.com". levispioneersessions.com. 2011-04-12. Retrieved 2011-09-15.
  46. ↑ Archived October 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.

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