M. Ward talks new solo album, She & Him Volume Two

photos by Ricky Chapman for Public Image Photography

It's been a little over two years since M. Ward released his last solo album, Post War, but the singer/songwriter/producer has been anything but idle in the interim. He's released an EP, lent his guitar, voice and/or production skills to more than a few artists covered in Paste, contributed to a trio of film soundtracks, made his acting debut, and become a world-famous pronoun, alongside Zooey Deschanel.

That's all well and good, but M. Ward fans want another solo record. And they want it to come out in February 2009. And they want it to be called Hold Time. Turns out, these fans are in luck.

"I just finished a record that's going to be out in February," Ward tells Paste. "It's called Hold Time. I'm excited for people to hear it. I tried a new balance on this new record. It's a little hard to explain. There's a lot of really big and heavy sounds that I attempted to balance with sounds that you can find in any guitar shop."

"It's such a great album," gushes his She & Him bandmate Deschanel. "I think it's my favorite album... ever."

Ward also confirmed that a She & Him Volume Two is in the works and that "Zooey has about a gazillion brand new awesome songs. All we know about Volume Two is that it's going to be twice as good as Volume One."

As far as the M. Ward/Conor Oberst/Jim James album currently in the works, Ward says it's progressing "very slowly but very surely. I imagine it'll be out in 2010 or 2011 at the glacial pace that we're getting the chance to work together. But I believe in the power of the passing of time to give you a clear vision of what's going to last and what was created in the whimsy of the moment."

"It doesn't have a name or anything except for ideas and enthusiasm and [our] hearts," he continues. "We're very excited about it, but it's off in the distance. Conor put a record out a few months ago. Jim James is still on tour. I'm putting a record out in February. It's a trick, but when we do stuff together it's a blast. It's a complete collaboration. Mike Mogis is in there. It could all change at any second. We don't have any finished songs, but we've been touring together off and on over the last four years. It's exciting to take it to the next step."

Related links:
News: M. Ward, Jim James, Conor Oberst reuniting for new album
Feature: How well does M. Ward know Zooey Deschanel?
MWardMusic.com

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