On July 8, Zooey Deschanel (She) & M. Ward (Him) released the fourth single, Don’t Worry Baby, from their upcoming album, Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson, out July 22, 2022 via Fantasy Records. Don’t Worry Baby appeared on The Beach Boys’ March 1964 album, Shut Down Volume 2. Written by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, Wilson’s lead vocal on the track is considered one of his defining performances, and he later referred to Don’t Worry Baby as perhaps the Beach Boys’ finest record. Darlin’, Wouldn’t It Be Nice & Til I Die were the first three singles to be released from Melt Away.
Watch the Visualizer for She & Him’s Don’t Worry Baby here. Pre-order Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson here.
“Don’t Worry Baby is one of the greatest songs of all time. As with all the other songs on our tribute record, we had no interest in copycatting the original production – our version began with stripping the song down to just vocals and a drop-tuned acoustic guitar and building from there. The inspiration for our version comes from a lot of different places but the biggest ones would be some of Chet Atkins guitar ideas, some drum ideas from Mick Fleetwood, and some synth inventions by Dave Smith (RIP),” Zooey and Matt shared about the single.
She & Him’s seventh studio album is a loving, LP-length tribute to one of the greatest living American songwriters and singers, Brian Wilson. Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson finds Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward diving deep into the legendary artist’s extensive songbook, offering fascinating and delectable new spins on time-honoured classics and overlooked gems alike. These fourteen covers are infused with the familiar magic that She & Him fans know and love, opening a new window into Wilson’s iconic catalog. Wilson even features on a song with Zooey and M. Ward for the album, Do It Again. The band have enjoyed a friendship, and mutual appreciation, with Wilson over the years and She & Him was previously a guest vocalist on his 2015 album, No Pier Pressure.
“In the spring of 2020, we started a list of our favorite Brian songs — a very long list,” the duo explains. “We chose songs without any regard to their chart performance. The obscure ones hit us just as hard as the more popular songs — and all are ripe for re-imagining, re-interpreting, and re-inventing. Brian writes songs of beauty and loneliness and vulnerability better than anyone — and by sequencing them next to popular songs of confidence and love and fun, it creates a more complete picture of life on earth.”
Brian Wilson comments on Melt Away: “Zooey and Matt did such mind-blowing versions of our songs. The harmonies are beautiful and right on. I love this record!”
TRACK LIST:
1.Darlin’
2.Wouldn’t It Be Nice
3.Til I Die
4.Deirdre
5.Melt Away
6.Good To My Baby
7.Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)
8.Don’t Worry Baby
9.This Whole World
10.Kiss Me, Baby
11.Do It Again ft. Brian Wilson
12.Heads You Win, Tails I Lose
13.Please Let Me Wonder
14.Meant For You
Melt Away is Deschanel and Ward’s follow-up to 2016’s holiday album Christmas Party, and it marks their second record of non-holiday covers since 2014’s Classics, which topped Billboard’s U.S. Folk Albums chart on release. It’s the latest display of remarkable talent from She & Him, who have wowed listeners for over 15 years with their gorgeous and warm indie-pop. As Deschanel’s maintained a successful acting career and Ward’s continued his own singular solo career as a producer and singer-songwriter, the duo continues to sound like the perfect match in the studio—with Deschanel’s dramatic vocals pairing with Matt’s textured, tuneful arrangements and production.
Tickets for She & Him’s upcoming Fall tour are available at sheandhim.com.