She and Him Include Vintage Covers on 'Volume Two'

Along with 11 originals on their new album, 'Volume Two,' She and Him -- aka Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward -- include a pair of covers: Skeeter Davis' 'Gonna Get Along Without You Now' and NRBQ's 'Ridin' in My Car.' Both tunes fit the band's vintage-pop aesthetic, Ward tells Spinner.

"Our biggest inspiration is older records," Ward says. "Zooey is very learned as far as songwriters from the middle part of last century, and I get a lot of inspiration from older guitar styles and older production styles."

Trying the NRBQ number was Ward's idea. "I brought that song into the studio just to try out and it ended up taking on a life of its own, so that stayed on the record," he says. "And Zooey brought in the Skeeter Davis song and we both loved how they fit in with the record."

Ward counts himself a longtime fan of NRBQ, the cult-favorite bar band, and its best-known guitarist, Al Anderson, who wrote 'Ridin' in My Car.' "He's such an incredible guitar player," Ward says. For his part, Anderson digs She and Him's version of his song.

"I like the harmonies on their version more than on ours," Anderson tells Spinner.

'Volume Two' comes out March 23 on Merge.