Ep. 254: Zooey Deschanel | Her Secret Identity + The Journey of She & Him

Today's guest is one of the most recognizable faces of her generation — an actor whose voice you'd know in a single frame. But her real story isn't the one you've watched. It's the one she kept secret: for 20 years she's been a songwriter, and barely anyone — even people who know her — knew it.This is one of the more honest conversations we've had about being underestimated — as an actor who "couldn't" really be a musician, and as a woman the industry assumed didn't write her own songs — and about what it costs to keep making things purely because you love them.And The Writer Is... Zooey Deschanel of She & Him!In this episode of And The Writer Is, we go deep on:Why she erased social media off her own devicesThe "industry plant" myth — why the industry "can't make anything happen" anymoreBeing told "you'll never make a record, no one will take you seriously" as an actorHer "secret agent" identityThe misogyny she goes to bat againstHer North Star she chasesAnd much more...Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music.Join our Patreon for special access, bonus conversations, demo playing opportunities, and guest hangs!patreon.com/andthewriterisFollow us on socials: @andthewriterisA special thank you to our lead sponsor NMPA for making these conversations possible.NMPA is the National Music Publishers' Association. They fight for songwriters and they fight for this podcast, too.Chapters0:00 Intro1:00 Meet Zooey Deschanel1:51 Writing alone — and erasing social media to do it4:49 Why the "industry plant" is a myth6:37 "You'll never be taken seriously as a musician"7:25 Her secret identity as a songwriter11:15 How She & Him released with no name attached13:01 "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today" — never a single, now #1 on TikTok15:35 The story behind writing "I Thought I Saw Your Face Today"17:24 Her dad, the records, and growing up musical22:44 Brian Wilson, Gershwin, and the Great American Songbook26:13 Five desert island albums28:21 Why "A Hard Day's Night" beats the White Album30:16 Teaching herself piano at six32:46 Writing her first song at ten38:42 "I identify as a songwriter, not an actor"42:15 Dropping out of Northwestern45:59 A word from our lead sponsor, NMPA49:23 Finding her voice in the studio — the mic chain51:56 Recording with Brian Wilson & the gifted mic55:57 Why she never sold out — turning in finished records67:03 The lonely sets where her first two records were written69:35 Almost Famous & Cameron Crowe72:50 "I'm allergic to selling myself"76:19 Nobody believes a woman writes her own songs79:00 Writing for other artists & how publishing splits really work82:07 Why she loves writing Christmas songs84:24 500 Days of Summer & music in film88:36 The songwriting trick: "What if I am her?"93:21 Dyslexia, reading scripts & why melody sticks94:56 Why she doesn't do more theater98:38 Staying clean through party-era Hollywood100:50 M. Ward — 20 years, never one fight109:57 Writing alone when everyone's afraid to111:43 The biggest misconception about her114:18 Finding your North StarCredits:Hosted by Ross GolanProduced by Joe London & Jad SaadEdited by Jad SaadWatch on Spotify. If you're subscribed to Spotify Premium, you don't get any Spotify ads on our show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.