Zooey Deschanel is set to feature on M. Ward’s next album. The singer-and-actress will lend her vocal talents to her She And Him bandmate’s sixth solo record A Wasteland Companion, which was recorded with 18 different musicians in eight studios across the UK and the US. M has described his forthcoming album – which will also feature a number of top stars including Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis and Sonic Youth’s Steve Shelley – as a “music travelogue” after he gained inspiration for the record from various trips around the world. He told MOJO magazine: “Between now and when I made ‘Hold Time’ there has been a lot of travelling which requires a lot of reckoning with what to leave behind and what to carry – material and otherwise – and thinking about what I want versus what I need, creatively and otherwise. “I wanted to get a reflection of that on the album. It was a process of stripping away my security blanket, which is the same four walls I always record in.” Zooey appears in a number of songs with M on the soundtrack for Disney’s 2011 release of Winnie The Pooh.

Source: Contactmusic.com

Actress Zooey Deschanel has withdrawn her lawsuit against an American shoe company. The (500) Days of Summer star launched a legal battle against executives at Steve Madden back in December, 2010 alleging bosses at the firm had used her name and likeness in a number of adverts but had failed to pay her her $2 million (£1.25 million) fee for the endorsement deal. However, Deschanel has since decided to drop the case and filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A reason for the lawsuit’s withdrawal has not been revealed.

Source: Contactmusic.com

Zooey Deschanel’s style is due to her fringe and eyes. The actress – who is the face of beauty company Rimmel – uses Orible shampoo, conditioner and hairspray to keep her hair looking good, but she struggles to understand why she ever attempts to change her style because always reverts to the same look. She said: “I’m all bangs [fringe] and eyes. There have been periods when I’ve grown my bangs out, but I always cut them back, so it’s like, why go through the trouble?!” The New Girl actress also believes women should be allowed to “express who they are” without thinking about what they wear, so she doesn’t see a problem with females dressing in a girly fashion if that’s how they want to look. She added to Allure magazine: “If you feel like dressing like a girl, there’s nothing wrong with that. “I don’t know why femininity should be associated with weakness. Women should be free to express who they are without thinking, I need to act like a man, or I need to tone it down to be successful. That’s a very good way to keep women down.”

Source: Contactmusic.com

Actress/singer Zooey Deschanel had a birthday to remember on Tuesday (January 17) – U.S. President Barack Obama mailed the actress a personalised letter, wishing her “good health and happiness in the year ahead”. The Elf star was celebrating her 32nd birthday on Tuesday when she received an unexpected surprise in the mail box. Taking to her Twitter.com account to post a snap of the document, it reads, “Michelle and I send our warmest wishes for a happy birthday. As you celebrate this special occasion with your family and friends, please know I am grateful for all you have done to encourage and support young women who are making a difference across our country. “I hope your day is filled with love and laughter, and I wish you all the best for good health and happiness in the year ahead.” Deschanel, who shares her birthday with the American leader’s wife, Michelle Obama, later poked fun at the politician for skipping out on her party, writing, “It’s okay. I get it. I would go to Michelle Obama’s birthday instead of mine, too.”

Source: Contactmusic.com