She & Him partnered with UCSB A&L and United Way of Santa Barbara County to launch United Way’s 2021 Holiday Gift Drive
She & Him partnered with UCSB A&L and United Way of Santa Barbara County to launch United Way’s 2021 Holiday Gift Drive. New, unwrapped toys, gift cards and donations were collected at the event. Photo credit: David Bazemore.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures proudly presented She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas Party on Thursday, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Arlington Theatre. The performance is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Drawing inspiration from a shared love of vintage pop, “subtle and sophisticated” (Pitchfork) super-duo She & Him pairs indie-folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel. Usher in the holiday season with the twosome’s “old-school studio-pop sensibility” (NPR) and Deschanel’s “perfectly airy and retro vocals” (Paste) as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2011 album A Very She & Him Christmas.
ABOUT SHE & HIM
Artist Biography by Andrew Leahey
M. Ward and actress/singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel perform A Very She & Him Christmas Party at the Arlington Theatre on Dec.2.
Photo credit: David Bazemore.
She & Him feature the somewhat unlikely pairing of country-folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel. While starring in the 2007 film The Go-Getter, Deschanel was asked by director Martin Hynes to perform a duet with Ward, who had agreed to helm the movie’s soundtrack. The two recorded a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson’s “When I Get to the Border” and later reconvened in Portland, where they began recording Deschanel’s original songs (which the actress had previously demoed for years, but kept secret) in Ward’s studio. Drawing upon analog production techniques and a shared love of vintage pop bands, the duo emerged with Volume One, a collection of songs that introduced Deschanel as a singer/songwriter in her own right.
Released in March 2008 by Merge and Domino, Volume Onereceived support from a number of critics, withPaste magazine even deeming it the year’s best album. The duo soon embarked on a summer-long tour, after which Deschanel and Ward began working on a second album. Volume Two arrived in early 2010, cracking the Billboard Top Ten during its first week and paving the way for another successful tour. Drawing inspiration from classic holiday offerings from the likes of the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, and Vince Guaraldi, Ward and Deschanel’s third outing under the moniker found the duo tackling their first collection of Christmas music. The resulting A Very She & Him Christmas arrived in October 2011. The pair returned to making their breezy pop in 2013 with Volume Three, an album of summery pop that arrived in the spring of that year. In late 2014, the duo announced the release of a second covers album, Classics, which would also serve as their debut with Columbia. A sort of standards album, Classicsfeatured works by legendary musicians such as Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Costello. They followed that with another Christmas album, Christmas Party, in 2016. Still focusing on 20th century holiday tunes, it included guest performances by the Chapin Sisters, Jenny Lewis, and Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth.
See A&L’s full 2021-2022 lineup here
This is a moment that calls for Optimism, Resilience, Courage and Vision.
Santa Barbara needs Hope, and Arts & Lectures is uniquely positioned to respond.
A&L’s 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative has already inspired our community with presentations by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, chef Jose? Andre?s and author Anne Lamott. We will continue to inspire, through shared experiences with thought leaders, creative problem solvers and arts visionaries who will guide us forward. CREATING HOPE programs strengthen human connection, promote emotional well-being, joy and compassion, and envision positive change. Learn more about the CREATING HOPE: https://artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/CreatingHope.aspx
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES — Founded in 1959, UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is the largest and most influential arts and lectures organization between Los Angeles and San Francisco. A&L annually presents more than a hundred public events, from critically acclaimed concerts and dance performances by world-renowned artists to talks by groundbreaking authors and film series at UCSB and Santa Barbara-area venues. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” A&L also oversees an outreach program that brings visiting artists and speakers into local classrooms and other venues for master classes, open rehearsals, discussions and more, serving K-12 students, college students and the general public.
UCSB Arts & Lectures gratefully acknowledges our Community Partners the Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli for their generous support of the 2021-2022 season.