Zooey sings!

Early on in the video for She & Him’s “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”, singer Zooey Deschanel collapses into a pool of cartoon blood. The ghost version of Deschanel then does everything from sidestepping in cowboy boots to using a cartoon axe to chop off the heads of four stationary versions of herself.

From other artists, this might appear twisted. But even ghastly imagery is somehow charming when it features the immensely likable 28-year-old singer/actress, who’s starred in films such as “The Happening” and “Elf” and expanded her indie cred by forming She & Him with singer-guitarist Matt Ward (otherwise known as M. Ward). The duo’s debut, “Volume One,” showcases Deschanel’s thin yet disarmingly pure voice amidst a slew of twangy original pop songs and a few covers, including a hauntingly somber rendition of “You Really Got a Hold on Me.”

A day before leaving L.A. to head out on tour, Deschanel spoke to us about keeping it real on stage and being the 95th hottest woman in the world.

The album sounds old-fashioned, like you should be traveling the country in a covered wagon, not a plane or bus. Have you considered that?
[Laughs] Wow, that’d be interesting. If it meant doing some pioneer reenactment…yeah, I guess I’d be down.

How would Matt feel about that?
I don’t know. Depends on how long it was.

He can take a jet, and you can hit the road.
Yeah, me and my oxen.

How would you describe the sound of your voice?
I have trouble actually describing myself because I’m always suspicious of people who start describing themselves. I’m like, “OK, why are you trying to tell me what you are?” It’s really hard because it sounds different inside my head than it sounds recorded.

Well, you’ve expressed shyness over sharing your songs in the past. Are you shy in concert?
I always felt more comfortable on stage than I did in real life. I kind of have an aversion to affect in a lot of ways. I’m not up there trying to be some rock star, which I find a little bit creepy when people aren’t authentically that way and then they get up there.… In terms of shyness, I might seem shy because…it’s not really my intention to do anything other than share the music.

Selma Blair says people made fun of her name when she was younger, calling her “Smell-ma.” Did you have any similar experiences?
No, there were so many things to make fun of me about that [my] name’s a last resort. They were well equipped with ammunition.

Like what?
I was a little bit overweight. And just a different kind of person than I am now.

But they wouldn’t mind if you, say, arrived to school in a wagon pulled by oxen?
That actually I think would have gone over very well. Kids like that kind of thing.

You recently starred in “The Happening,” in which the environment fights back against humans. Have you noticed any trees giving you dirty, threatening looks?
No, it wasn’t that convincing.

You wound up as No. 95 on Maxim Hot 100 list. What was your reaction?
I was just surprised, I guess. Because I thought you had to pose in underwear or something to get that.

Hey, you’ve already got a strong base of movie and music fans, and a lot would probably call you their crush…
Oh my goodness.

What are the most impassioned responses you’ve had from fans?
It’s hard to think of myself that way. I’m kind of a regular girl. I don’t know. Sometimes people have made me mix CDs. I’m always really excited when I get a mix CD, so I’m like, “Keep ‘em coming, guys!”

Always a good way to a girl’s heart.
Yeah! At South by Southwest three or four people came up to me and were like, “I came all the way from Tulsa, and I have a mix CD for you!”

Did you fall in love immediately?
No, it was a girl. But if it had been a boy…