Matt Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In the summer of 2006, Ward relocated to New Hampshire and in the fall of 2007 subsequently returned to Portland. Regarding the types of music he grew up listening to, Ward said: "My dad turned me onto Johnny Cash. He was always into gospel and country," Ward said. "My mom listened to classical music."
His solo debut Duet for Guitars #2 was released by Howe Gelb on his Ow Om record label. Ward's 2001 album, End of Amnesia, was put out by Future Farmer Records. A collection of live recordings, Live Music & The Voice of Strangers, was a self-released disc that was sold at his shows in 2001. His subsequent albums have been released on Merge Records.
In 2006, Ward recorded a duet with actress Zooey Deschanel, which collaboration resulted in the formation of the band She & Him. The duo's album Volume One — which Ward produced — was released on Merge Records on March 18, 2008. Ward and Deschanel performed (along with Yo La Tengo) on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on April 22, 2008. Returning from She & Him duties, M. Ward has released his sixth solo studio album, Hold Time, on February 17th 2009. Ward has said that he doesn't enjoy playing shows very much: "In general I like it. I don't like being away from home that much. So it's O.K. It's a part of the job."