A Great Indie Pop First Dance Song: She & Him, “I Was Made for You”

Fans of indie pop, alt-country, singer-songwriters, or all three have probably heard the music of M. Ward, a singer-songwriter who for about a decade has been releasing albums of moody, otherworldly-sounding, yet often warm folk and pop that stitches together vintage sounds – from genres, like folk or bluegrass, to actual old sounds, like vocal effects that make it seem his voice is emanating from a 1930s radio. A couple years ago, Ward began a side project called She & Him with the increasingly popular actress Zooey Deschanel (known for her supporting roles in Elf, Yes Man, and as a lead in an underrated indie film featuring some great music called All the Real Girls).

Last year the pair released their debut album, Volume One, a well-crafted collection of songs that blends retro styles like vintage country twang, ’60s girl group harmonizing, and a touch of classic torch song jazz into an enchanting mix. But the real surprise here is Deschanel, who sings lead vocals and wrote most of the songs. Her vocals, usually delivered crisply but with a sweet, slight country-ish drawl, quite beautifully convey a range of emotion throughout the album, from the exuberance of celebrating a new love to late-night, tear-in-your-beer, honky-tonk heartache. And what’s also impressive is that you can tell – not just from the strength of the songs, but also from the choice of the radio-unfriendly musical styles themselves – that Deschanel and Ward have made music they care about, and that Deschanel is not simply a pretty young face trying to pull a Jennifer Love Hewitt and cash in on her growing stardom. Though the album may not be thematically deep, and though at times it sounds too derivative of its retro influences, Volume One is of the quality and integrity that that most actors with musical side projects think they’re making but rarely do.

“I Was Made for You” is one of the songs here where Deschanel and Ward are at the their best. While on some of the more twangy tunes on the album, Deschanel leans a bit too hard on the country drawl (she was born in L.A. and went to high school in Santa Monica, so she’s no coal miner’s daughter), on “I Was Made for You” she keeps just enough of the drawl to make things warm, but also channels the breezy sweetness of the ’60s girl group sound. From the opening lyrics about taking a walk and seeing a boy pass by to the backup “ooh, uh-huh” female vocals, this song seems like it could be the prequel to innocent “teenager-in-love” girl-group classics like “My Boyfriend’s Back” or “He’s So Fine.”

Why is this tune a great first dance song? Mostly for one important reason – it manages to flawlessly create a tricky mood to pull off, but one that’s perfect for a couple’s initial foray alone onto the dancefloor for their guests and photographers. In the song, the solid foundation of lush retro production, a bouncy melody, and Deschanel’s joyful vocals all come together to convincingly capture the pure, teenager-y thrill of falling for someone, and from my experience as a DJ at weddings, few things could be better than feeling that during a first dance. Plus, like most simple pop tunes should, the song doesn’t overstay its welcome, being only two-and-a-half minutes long. The one caveat is that the song isn’t gender neutral like many first dance songs – twice in the song, Deschanel sings “I have been waitin’ for a long long time/for a boy like you” – but come on, guys, the wedding should be more about your bride anyway, right?

Have a listen…

She & Him – “I Was Made for You”

Alt-Country, Indie Music, Indie Rock & Pop First Dance Songs, Indie Wedding Music, Off the Beaten Track Wedding Songs, Weddings