Matthew Stephen Ward (born October 4, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. Ward's solo work is a mixture of
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fol ...
and
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
-inspired
Americana
Americana may refer to:
*Americana (music), a genre or style of American music
*Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States
Film, radio and television
* ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...
analog recording
Analog recording is a technique used for the recording of analog signals which, among many possibilities, allows analog audio for later playback.
Analog audio recording began with mechanical systems such as the phonautograph and phonograph. ...
s; he has released ten studio albums since 1999, primarily through independent label
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...
. In addition to his solo work, he is a member of indie pop duo
She & Him
She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production) formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon"''Rolli ...
and folk-rock
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him. The band was formed in 200 ...
, and also participates in recording, producing, and playing with multiple other artists.
Early life
M. Ward was raised in
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
, and moved to
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
, after college. Growing up, Ward taught himself songs by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
on his brother's guitar, and began recording demos on a
four-track analog tape recorder when he was about fifteen.
Ward continues to only record analog, and starts all of his songs as demos on the same recorder he has had since his teens.
Solo recordings
''Duets for Guitars #2'' and ''End of Amnesia'' (1999–2001)
Ward's solo debut, ''
Duet for Guitars #2,'' was released by Co-Dependent Records in 1999, then re-issued by
Howe Gelb
Howe Gelb (born October 22, 1956, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer based in Tucson, Arizona.
Projects
Gelb's approach to music is collaborative and he has recorded with a number of s ...
's Ow Om record label in 2000.
Described by Joshua Klein of
''Pitchfork'' as "ragged and lo-fi...recorded on a shoestring and not necessarily worse for it," ''Duet for Guitars #2'' soon went out of print for a second time, before being reissued by Merge in 2007.
Ward's second album, ''
End of Amnesia
''End of Amnesia'' is the second studio album by M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward (born October 4, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Portland, Oregon. Ward's solo work is a mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana ...
,'' was put out by
Future Farmer Records Future Farmer Records is an independent record label based in San Francisco, California.
Inspired by skateboarding culture Future Farmer was founded in 1996 by San Joaquin Valley natives Jeff Klindt and Dennis Mitchell.
Former label member M. War ...
and
Loose Music
Loose is a British independent record label based in Ladbroke Grove, London.
In 1998, Loose was formed from the vinyl only record label, Vinyl Junkie, which was set up in 1994 by Tom Bridgewater. Loose Music - About
Since 1998, Loose has rele ...
(Europe) in 2001. In a retrospective review, Ryan Kearney of ''Pitchfork'' compares the album to a contemporary band,
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous. Sparklehorse was active from 1995 until Linkous' 2010 death. Prior to forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands ...
, saying that "both
Linkous and Ward are country- and folk-influenced artists who scratch unavoidable, but nominally disruptive marks on the traditional blueprint." Sparklehorse had released ''
It's a Wonderful Life
''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...
'' to critical acclaim earlier in the year.
A collection of live recordings, ''Live Music & The Voice of Strangers'', was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows in 2001.
''Transfiguration of Vincent'' and ''Transistor Radio'' (2003–05)
Ward released his third album, ''
Transfiguration of Vincent
''Transfiguration of Vincent'', released in 2003, is the third studio album by singer-songwriter M. Ward. The title alludes to the 1965 album '' The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'' by John Fahey, and refers to the life and death of Vincent ...
'', on
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...
in 2003 to critical success. ''Transfiguration of Vincent'' received a weighted average score of 82 out of 100 by review aggregator website Metacritic, based on thirteen critical reviews, indicating "universal acclaim." The title alludes to the 1965 album ''
The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'' by
John Fahey, and refers to the life and death of Vincent O'Brien, a close friend to Ward.
Fahey's
pre-war style of folk music and production techniques, using basic equipment and simple arrangements, greatly influenced Ward's own sound and recording practices.
''
Transistor Radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver that uses transistor-based circuitry. Following the invention of the transistor in 1947—which revolutionized the field of consumer electronics by introducing small but powerful, convenien ...
'', Ward's fourth album, was released on Merge in 2005, and he served as the opening act for
The White Stripes
The White Stripes were an American rock duo from Detroit formed in 1997. The group consisted of Jack White (songwriter, vocals, guitar, piano, and mandolin) and Meg White (drums and vocals). After releasing several singles and three albums with ...
that fall. The album consists of Ward's own compositions as well as three covers,
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and frie ...
' "
You Still Believe in Me
"You Still Believe in Me" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album ''Pet Sounds''. Initially conceived as "In My Childhood", it was the first songwriting collaboration between Brian Wilson, the group's ''de facto'' l ...
",
Carmen Lombardo
Carmen Lombardo (July 16, 1903 – April 17, 1971) was lead saxophonist and featured vocalist for his brother Guy Lombardo's orchestra. He was also a successful composer. In 1927, Carmen Lombardo was the vocalist of the hit record Charmaine, perf ...
's pop standard "
Sweethearts on Parade", and
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's "
Well-Tempered Clavier
''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time, ''clavier'', meaning keyboard, referred to a variety of in ...
". ''Transistor Radio'' received a score of 78 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Josh Terry of
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
, writing of ''Transistor Radio'' in 2014, described the album as "one of the finer examples of ramshackle and intimate mid-aughts folk."
A writer for ''Alternative Press'', however, said that "Most of Ward's quiet, contemporary folk songs are mere sketches, mediocre if not unmemorable." ''Transistor Radio'' was reissued by Merge in December 2014 with four previously unreleased tracks.
''Post-War'' and ''Hold Time'' (2006–09)
In August 2006, Ward released ''
Post-War
In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...
'' on Merge Records. ''Post-War'' was Ward's first album with a full backing band, with players including
Howe Gelb
Howe Gelb (born October 22, 1956, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer based in Tucson, Arizona.
Projects
Gelb's approach to music is collaborative and he has recorded with a number of s ...
,
Jim James
James Edward Olliges Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is an American vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. He has also released several solo albums.
...
, and
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case (; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case has a powerful, untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and cri ...
. ''Post-War'' was described by ''
Vanity Fair'' in its August 2006 issue as thematic on the question "How will America heal once this
craziness in Iraq is over?" Ward said in that article that he looked to the post-war music of the late 1940s and 1950s. "I had the naive, simplistic idea that producers and writers and artists of the time helped in a minuscule way to change the mind-set of America." In addition to this inspired material, the album also contains a cover of
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...
's "To Go Home", which was subsequently re-released on the ''
To Go Home''
EP in 2007. A critical success, ''Post-War'' received "universal acclaim" of 81 out of 100, aggregated by Metacritic and reached No. 146 on
Billboard's Top 200.
Ward spent most of 2007 touring with
Norah Jones
Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
in support of the album, as well as occasionally playing in Norah's touring band, "The Handsome Band". Ward played on Jones's 2007 release ''
Not Too Late''.
''
Hold Time'', the followup to ''Post-War'', was released on Merge in February 2009. ''Hold Time'' includes guest performances by
Jason Lytle
Jason Lytle ( ; born March 26, 1969) is an American musician best known for his work in the indie rock group Grandaddy. The group split in 2005, and Lytle continued to release music as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. Gra ...
of the band
Grandaddy
Grandaddy is an American indie rock band from Modesto, California. The group was formed in 1992, and featured Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia and Tim Dryden, until Garcia's death in 2017 following a stroke.
After several ...
,
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...
, Tom Hagerman of
DeVotchKa, and
She & Him
She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production) formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon"''Rolli ...
co-contributor
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel (; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She made her film debut in '' Mumford'' (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film ''Almost Famous'' (2000). Deschanel is known for he ...
. The album includes a cover of the
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...
song "
Rave On!
"Rave On", also written "Rave On!", is a song written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty in 1958. It was first recorded by West for Atlantic Records, which released his version in February 1958 (as Atlantic 45-1174). Buddy Holly recor ...
" Described by Autumn De Wilde ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' as "
eeling
Eels are ray-finned fish belonging to the order Anguilliformes (), which consists of eight suborders, 19 families, 111 genera, and about 800 species. Eels undergo considerable development from the early larval stage to the eventual adult stag ...
timeless, a musical wanderer's dusty, train-hopping tour through folk, blues, and country," ''Hold Time'' received an aggregated 79 out of 100 on Metacritic, for "generally favorable reviews" and reached No. 31 on Billboard's Top 200.
''A Wasteland Companion'' and ''More Rain'' (2012–present)
After several years of touring and releasing albums with pop project She & Him and folk
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him. The band was formed in 200 ...
, Ward released his seventh studio album, ''
A Wasteland Companion
''A Wasteland Companion'' is the seventh studio album from M. Ward, released in Australia and New Zealand on April 6, 2012; in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2012; and in the United States on April 10, 2012. ''A Wasteland Companion'' is the follo ...
'', in 2012 on Merge and
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twi ...
. Reaching number 21 in the US charts,
''A Wasteland Companion'' received an aggregated score of 75 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Will Hermes of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' gave the album 3.5 of 5 stars, reflective of the aggregated score, and commented that "
'A Wasteland Companion''is his most vivid and varied yet, full of exquisite guitar work,...gem-like songcraft...and inspired covers." Matthew McFarland of ''Prefix'' offered the criticism, "What's missing, though, is the familiar sense of deft control over the album's arc, the lyrical intrigues, and the instrumental detail that make his other work so indispensable
icto the indie folk canon of last decade."
After another multi-year break from solo recording, M. Ward released his eighth album, ''
More Rain'', on March 4, 2016, via Merge and
Bella Union
Bella Union is a British independent record label founded in 1997 by Simon Raymonde and Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins. It is now run solely by Raymonde.
History
After releasing records with 4AD for a large part of their career, Cocteau Twi ...
. Ward began working on ''More Rain'' in 2012, initially experimenting with layering his own vocals to create a
doo-wop
Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
record. After collaborating with other artists on the record such as
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
's
Peter Buck
Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his car ...
,
k.d. lang
Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...
,
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case (; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case has a powerful, untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and cri ...
, and others, the sound of the album went in a different direction, described as a "true gotta-stay-indoors, rainy-season record that looks upwards through the weather while reflecting on his past."
![She & Him at NFF](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/She_%26_Him_at_NFF.jpg)
On June 8, 2018, Ward self-released ''What a Wonderful Industry'', his ninth studio album. Using a variety of anecdotes and metaphors, the album examines the complex challenges of working within the cutthroat music industry. As Ward stated in an interview with NPR, "You quickly learn there's a perfectly imperfect balance of cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals in the zoo....This record visits the most memorable characters. There's a lot of very inspirational people I've had the pleasure to work with but there are also a few I wish I'd never met."
Ward's tenth studio album, ''Migration Stories'', was released on April 3, 2020, on Anti Records.
With other musicians
She and Him
In 2006, Ward was working on the soundtrack for the film ''
The Go-Getter
"The Go-Getter" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, which first appeared in the United States in the March 1931 issue of
''Cosmopolitan'' (as "Sales Resistance"), and in the United Kingdom in the August 1931 ''Strand''. Part of the Blandings ...
'', co-starring actress
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel (; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. She made her film debut in '' Mumford'' (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film ''Almost Famous'' (2000). Deschanel is known for he ...
, when Director
Martin Hynes
Martin Hynes is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and film producer.
Life and career
Hynes was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, and has a bachelor's degree in history from Columbia University.
Hynes wrote and directed ''The Go ...
suggested Ward and Deschanel record a duet for the movie. Ward later referred to the collaboration as "a fruitful, creative experience." Deschanel soon sent Ward demos of songs she had written, and the two formed the pop duo
She & Him
She & Him is an American musical duo consisting of Zooey Deschanel (vocals, piano, ukulele) and M. Ward (guitar, production) formed in 2006 in Portland, Oregon.Scaggs, Austin"Smoking Section: Modest Mouse, Zooey Deschanel, Kings of Leon"''Rolli ...
to record together, with Deschanel writing the songs
and Ward composing the music. The duo's first album ''
Volume One'' — which Ward produced – was released on
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as an outlet for music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expande ...
on March 18, 2008. ''Volume One'' found critical and commercial success for Deschanel and Ward's pop music. The album reached No. 31 on Billboad's Top 200,
and Metacritic has the critical album reviews aggregated to 76 out of 100, or "generally favorable reviews."
She & Him's second album, ''
Volume Two'', was released on Merge in 2010. ''Volume Two'' peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Top 200, outperforming their first release. ''
A Very She & Him Christmas'' was released October 25, 2011 on Merge Records, peaking at No. 12.
After a break, She & Him released their third album of original songs, ''
Volume 3 Volume Three, Volume 3 or Volume III may refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Volume 3'' (She & Him album), 2013
* '' Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter'', a 1999 album by Jay-Z
* '' Volume 3: A Child's Guide to Good and Evil'', a 1968 album by The West ...
'' in 2013 followed by a collection of
standards Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
, ''
Classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
'', in 2014. Both albums also charted and were released on Merge.
In 2016 they released their second christmas album,
Christmas Party.
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him. The band was formed in 200 ...
is a project formed by Ward,
Jim James
James Edward Olliges Jr. (born April 27, 1978), professionally known as Jim James or Yim Yames, is an American vocalist, guitarist, producer, and primary songwriter of the rock band My Morning Jacket. He has also released several solo albums.
...
of
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ba ...
, and
Conor Oberst
Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...
and
Mike Mogis
Michael Riley Mogis (born May 16, 1974) is an American producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist who, along with his brother A.J. Mogis, founded Presto! Recording Studios (previously known as Dead Space Recording and, earlier, Whoopass Record ...
of
Bright Eyes. The four had been touring and playing together at various points throughout the 2000s and regularly talked of making an album together. The result, the eponymous ''
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk was an American supergroup, consisting of Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis from Bright Eyes, Will Johnson from Centro-matic and M. Ward, solo artist and half of She & Him. The band was formed in 200 ...
'', was released in September 2009. ''Monsters of Folk'' received "generally favorable reviews" with an aggregate score of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic. ''Prefix''
's Dave Clark said of the
supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to:
* Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields
* Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry
* Supergroup ...
that "The players on Monsters of Folk complement each other extremely well. There is definitely something to be said for group chemistry. These songs don't always shine the way they could, but the album is a great effort." ''Monsters of Folk'' was a commercial success, peaking at No. 15 on Billboard's Top 200.
Other artists
He has performed on recordings by Brian Wilson, Kim Deal, Giant Sand,
Cat Power
Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...
,
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case (; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case has a powerful, untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and cri ...
,
Beth Orton
Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician, known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica. She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, ...
(with whom he co-wrote the title track to her album ''
Comfort of Strangers
''Comfort of Strangers'' is English singer-songwriter Beth Orton's fourth studio album, the follow-up to 2002's '' Daybreaker''. The album was recorded in just two weeks at New York's Sear Sound studio in the spring of 2005, with musician and ...
''),
The Court & Spark,
Bright Eyes (with whom he toured on the 2004
Vote for Change
The Vote for Change tour was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed ...
tour with
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
and
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
),
Jenny Lewis
Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley.
Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...
(whose debut solo album ''
Rabbit Fur Coat
''Rabbit Fur Coat'' is an album in collaboration by Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley, with The Watson Twins. It was released in the United States on January 24, 2006, by Team Love. Lewis has described the album as a "sort of soul record". The album conta ...
'' he co-produced), and
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band formed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, drummer Patrick Hallahan, guitarist Carl Broemel, and keyboardist Bo Koster. The ba ...
.
In 2005, Ward was – along with
Aaron Burtch,
Jason Lytle
Jason Lytle ( ; born March 26, 1969) is an American musician best known for his work in the indie rock group Grandaddy. The group split in 2005, and Lytle continued to release music as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. Gra ...
and
Jim Fairchild
Kirby James Fairchild is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist of the indie rock bands Grandaddy and Modest Mouse. Fairchild has released solo material under the pseudonym All Smiles.
Biography
Bo ...
from
Grandaddy
Grandaddy is an American indie rock band from Modesto, California. The group was formed in 1992, and featured Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia and Tim Dryden, until Garcia's death in 2017 following a stroke.
After several ...
,
Scout Niblett
Emma Louise Niblett (born 29 September 1973), better known by the stage name Scout Niblett, is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Niblett debuted in 2001 with her first full-length studio album ''Sweet Heart Fever'', and h ...
,
Marie Frank or
Jeremy Gara
Jeremy Gara (born June 6, 1978) is a Canadian drummer from Ottawa, Ontario. He is most well known as the drummer of the band Arcade Fire. Gara is an active performer in a number of other projects, including work as a solo performer.
Career
Ga ...
– involved in
Howe Gelb
Howe Gelb (born October 22, 1956, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer based in Tucson, Arizona.
Projects
Gelb's approach to music is collaborative and he has recorded with a number of s ...
's project called
Arizona Amp and Alternator, which had officially no band members but a lot of guest musicians (M. Ward's voice can be recognized on the track "Aaaa(3)").
In 2006, he helped produce and contributed a song to the
John Fahey tribute album ''
I Am the Resurrection
"I Am the Resurrection" is a song by the Stone Roses and the final song on the UK version of their debut album.
The last four minutes of the song is an instrumental outro. The single was released on 30 March 1992, and reached number 33 on t ...
''. He also appears on
Norah Jones
Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...
' album ''
Not Too Late'', performing backing vocals and guitar on "
Sinkin' Soon
"Sinkin' Soon" is a song written by Norah Jones and Lee Alexander, and is the second single from Jones's third solo album, ''Not Too Late (album), Not Too Late'' (2007). It was released in the United States on March 26, 2007 (see 2007 in music).
...
", and toured as the opener and a member of her "Handsome Band" for the album in the spring of 2007. Also his cover of
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's song "
Let's Dance" is featured on the soundtrack of the 2007
New Zealand film ''
Eagle vs Shark
''Eagle vs Shark'' is a 2007 New Zealand romantic comedy film written and directed by Taika Waititi (in his directorial debut) and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The film had its world premiere at Sundance in the World Cinema Dram ...
''. Ward was previously a member of the band
Rodriguez with
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the American football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, United States. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggies football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a permanent con ...
of
Little Wings
Kyle Field is an American musician who releases material under the moniker Little Wings.
Early life
Field was born in Alabama in 1972. As a child, his family relocated to Los Angeles, California, where his father worked as a coach for the UCL ...
and Mike Funk of
Echodrone. Their album ''Swing Like a Metronome'' was released in 2000 and produced by Jason Lytle of
Grandaddy
Grandaddy is an American indie rock band from Modesto, California. The group was formed in 1992, and featured Jason Lytle, Aaron Burtch, Jim Fairchild, Kevin Garcia and Tim Dryden, until Garcia's death in 2017 following a stroke.
After several ...
.
Songs or compositions written by M. Ward have been recorded or performed by: Bright Eyes ("Seashell tale"), Feist ("Post war"), Catpower ("Sad sad song"), Carrie Rodriguez ("Eyes on the prize"), Grandaddy ("Fishing boat song"), Lloyd Cole ("Chinese translation"), Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings ("One life away" "Fuel for fire"), Norah Jones (Lullaby + exile"), and She and Him ("Magic trick").
In 2013, Ward contributed guitar work to the
Neko Case
Neko Richelle Case (; born September 8, 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Canadian indie rock group the New Pornographers. Case has a powerful, untrained contralto voice, which has been described by contemporaries and cri ...
album ''The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You''. Neko noted on her September 2, 2013, appearance on ''
Comedy Bang! Bang!
''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! Popularly known as ''Humanit ...
'' that Ward not only contributed but was "paid in full".
Selected discography
Solo albums
* ''
Duet for Guitars #2'' (1999)
* ''
End of Amnesia
''End of Amnesia'' is the second studio album by M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward (born October 4, 1973) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Portland, Oregon. Ward's solo work is a mixture of folk and blues-inspired Americana ...
'' (2001) (reissued 2013)
* ''
Transfiguration of Vincent
''Transfiguration of Vincent'', released in 2003, is the third studio album by singer-songwriter M. Ward. The title alludes to the 1965 album '' The Transfiguration of Blind Joe Death'' by John Fahey, and refers to the life and death of Vincent ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Transistor Radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver that uses transistor-based circuitry. Following the invention of the transistor in 1947—which revolutionized the field of consumer electronics by introducing small but powerful, convenien ...
'' (2005)
* ''
Post-War
In Western usage, the phrase post-war era (or postwar era) usually refers to the time since the end of World War II. More broadly, a post-war period (or postwar period) is the interval immediately following the end of a war. A post-war period c ...
'' (2006) (#146 U.S.)
[ Billboard.com, M. Ward chart history/ref>
* '' Hold Time'' (2009) (#31 U.S.)]
* ''A Wasteland Companion
''A Wasteland Companion'' is the seventh studio album from M. Ward, released in Australia and New Zealand on April 6, 2012; in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2012; and in the United States on April 10, 2012. ''A Wasteland Companion'' is the follo ...
'' (2012) (#21 U.S., No. 106 U.K.)
* '' More Rain'' (2016)
* ''What a Wonderful Industry'' (2018)
* ''Migration Stories'' (2020)
* ''Think of Spring'' (2020)
EPs
* ''Scene from No. 12 (I Ain't Sleeping)'' (2000)
* '' To Go Home'' (2007)
She and Him
* '' Volume One'' (2008) (#71 U.S.)
* '' Volume Two'' (2010) (#6 U.S.)
* '' A Very She & Him Christmas'' (October 25, 2011)
* '' Volume Three'' (May 7, 2013) (#15 U.S.)
* ''Classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
'' (December 2, 2014)
* '' Christmas Party'' (October 28, 2016)
* Melt Away: A Tribute to Brian Wilson (July 22, 2022)
References
External links
M. Ward's homepage
Matador Records infopage
Merge Records infopage
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, M.
American male singer-songwriters
American folk singers
Musicians from Portland, Oregon
4AD artists
Arts & Crafts Productions artists
Merge Records artists
Loose Music artists
Bella Union artists
Anti- (record label) artists
1973 births
Singer-songwriters from Oregon
Indie folk musicians
She & Him members
Monsters of Folk members
21st-century American singers
Living people