She & Him

Already an established actress, model and singer-songwriter, Zooey Deschanel was filming the Martin Hynes-directed road movie The Go-Getter, when she met M. Ward, who was writing the soundtrack music. They performed the Richard Thompson song When I Get To The Border over the film's closing credits and, discovering shared musical interests, Deschanel subsequently sent Ward demos of her self-written songs. The result was She & Him, a recording partnership originally forged via computer, fuelled by a mutual interest in alt. country and resulting in their debut album Volume One released in early 2008, followed by their first tour together. It wasn't a big commercial success, but received an enthusiastic critical response, including the minor hit Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? Suitably encouraged, Deschanel embarked on a frenzy of songwriting and, with some high profile public appearances and promotional shows, the band's second album Volume 2 in 2010 broke into the US album charts at Number 6. Led by the tracks In The Sun and Thieves, it established She & Him as a strong live attraction - supplementing their unusual duo partnership with a versatile backing band.