Over the last handful of years, M. Ward has been all over the indie scene, releasing the widely hailed Hold Time solo album in 2009, recording and touring with the Monsters of Folk (with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James), and making two delightful discs with Zooey Deschanel as She & Him. Based in Portland, Oregon, Ward is a singer-songwriter with a wide range of influences, as evidenced by the first few songs from his upcoming solo album, A Wasteland Companion (Merge, April 10, 2012). On the record, Ward is joined by such guests as Tobey Leaman from Dr. Dog, Rachel Cox from Oakley Hall, Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth, and Tom Hagerman from Devotchka in addition to longtime friends Mogis, Deschanel, and Howe Gelb of Giant Sand.
The first video from the album is the enchanting animated “The First Time I Ran Away,” directed by Joel Trussell. Ward has also released the single “Primitive Girl.” Other tunes from A Wasteland Companion include “Me and My Shadow,” “I Get Ideas,” “Crawl After You,” and “Pure Joy.” Ward, who always puts on a fun show, will be at Webster Hall on May 11 with the Lee Ranaldo Band.