M. Ward

As lived-in as a well-worn blanket, M. Ward’s softly scratchy voice offers lasting warmth. Born Matthew Stephen Ward in Portland, Oregon in 1973, he began making analog home recordings at age 15. Ward’s rustic indie folk broke through with 2003’s intimate Transfiguration of Vincent, which saw him varying his approach from song to song with a looseness echoed in his dramatic slowing down of David Bowie’s 1983 hit “Let’s Dance.” He soon became a prolific collaborator, making notable turns with Norah Jones, Jenny Lewis, Neko Case, and members of Bright Eyes and My Morning Jacket. Ward has remained a dedicated interpreter of other artists’ material, devoting 2020’s Think of Spring to songs once performed by Billie Holiday. Working with actress Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him, he gave The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson a similar treatment with the 2022 album Melt Away.