It’s been two long years without one, and even the most confirmed Scrooges and Grinches have gotten impatient. Now, thanks to UCSB Arts & Lectures, one of Santa Barbara’s most cherished holiday gatherings returns. On Thursday, December 2, She & Him (that’s Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, plus backup singers and a band) will perform a splendid and comforting set of retro seasonal classics for a festive crowd at The Arlington Theatre. The concert kicks off a national tour for the duo She & Him, who made a significant impact on the crowded Christmas music market with their 2011 album A Very She & Him Christmas, and a follow-up LP, Christmas Party, in 2016. In addition, on November 12, 2021, Merge Records released an expanded Deluxe edition of A Very She & Him Christmas featuring three new numbers — “Holiday,” “Last Christmas,” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
In a recent phone conversation, the stars sounded relaxed and relieved to pick up where they left off with this popular seasonal project. While Ward was in Portland and Deschanel was in Los Angeles during the pandemic, the pair traded files digitally to produce the songs that round out the 10th-anniversary deluxe edition. Although this method required a departure from Ward’s preferred analog-exclusive studio technique, Deschanel praised the process, saying that “it was like giving and getting little presents” to send and receive the recordings that came together to create the final mixes.
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