Concertwire.com

M. Ward is the stage name for Portland, Oregon singer-songwriter Matt Ward, formally of the trio Rodriguez. M. Ward croons in sepia tones, weaving seamlessly through various eras of music. Armed with a guitar, harmonica, sparse percussion and a tin-pan alley piano, he conveys simple yet eloquent tales alive with metaphor and imagery, sung in his signature rasp. Ward, who is not a smoker, is at a loss to explain the origin of his singing voice, which sounds like it should belong to a 75-year-old Mississippi Delta bluesman. Ward recently joined Jim James of My Morning Jacket and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst for some exciting live collaborations. Their amazing chemistry only furthered M. Ward’s reputation. In 2006, Ward recorded a duet with actress Zooey Deschanel, a collaboration which resulted in the formation of the band She & Him. Ward’s fifth CD and first full-band release, Post-War, includes contributions from Neko Case and Jim James. He has recently released his sixth solo studio album, Hold Time, in February 2009.