One of the featured videos right now on youtube is the first video off She & Him's debut release, Volume One. It's called "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" and it's a bittersweet tune with charming 60's girl group harmonies from Zooey Deschanel and fuzzy guitar solos from M. Ward.

Indie-folk singer/songwriter M. Ward recently answered a few of my questions via email. He met Deschanel, 28, while working with her on the 2007 indie film "The Go-Getter" (she starred in it and he wrote the soundtrack) and thought she was an "incredible singer with incredible songs."

They're both drawn to old timey country songs and are "hell-bent on making music the old fashioned way: by hand - and with as few machines as humanly possible," as their myspace page puts it. This philosophy brings a pared-down, homey feel to their songs.

"I believe music sounds better when it's not going through digital technology," said Ward, 34.
But despite the wistful nostalgia that their music invokes, he said he's not really nostalgic for any time in his life or for a specific era of music: "I'm just more inspired by the stuff the mass public has forgotten, left behind or has no longer found a use for instead of whatever is supposed to be the latest and greatest in music and art in general."

She & Him will be in Madison at the Barrymore Theatre on August 8 at 8 p.m. with folk/country/pop opener Lavender Diamond. (Tickets are $20 and for sale at www.barrymorelive.com)