On June 29th, Zooey Deschanel (She) & M. Ward (Him) released the third single, Til I Die, off their upcoming album, Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson, out July 22 via Fantasy Records. Til I Die first appeared on the Beach Boys’ 1971 album, Surf’s Up. Darlin’ and Wouldn’t It Be Nice were the first two singles to be released from Melt Away.
Watch the visualizer for Til I Die here and pre-order Melt Away: A Tribute To Brian Wilson here.
With Deschanel’s vocals atop fluttering trumpet and Ward’s lovingly languid slide guitar figures, She & Him’s gorgeous take on Til I Die re-imagines the Beach Boys’ dazzling ballad while losing none of the original’s oceanic depth.
“Matt introduced that one to me,” Deschanel explains while talking about the song’s radiant glow. “I didn’t know it but loved it instantly. The melodies are stunning.” “It’s incredibly complex—the more you get into it, it’s like a labyrinth, but one you enjoy being in,” Ward adds.
She & Him’s seventh studio album is a loving 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 14 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 Deschanel and Ward for the album – Do It Again. The band has 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!”
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 Ward’s textured, tuneful arrangements and production.
Tickets for She & Him’s upcoming fall tour are available at sheandhim.com.
NEW FALL TOUR DATES
9.9.22 – Vienna, VA – Wolf Trap
9.10.22 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
9.11.22 – Portland, ME – State Theatre
9.13.22 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Steel
9.14.22 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
9.16.22 – Grand Rapids, MI – Meijer Gardens
