folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel. While starring in the 2007 film The Go-Getter, Deschanel was asked by director Martin Hynes to perform a duet with Ward, who had agreed to helm the movie's soundtrack. The two recorded a cover of Richard & Linda Thompson's "When I Get to the Border" and later reconvened in Portland, where they began recording Deschanel's original songs (which the actress had previously demoed for years, but kept secret) in Ward's studio. Drawing upon analogue production techniques and a shared love of vintage pop bands, the duo emerged with Volume One, a collection of songs that introduced Deschanel as a singer/songwriter in her own right.