Mates of State are an
American indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
duo, active since 1997.
The group is the husband-and-wife team of Kori Gardner (born June 16, 1974) (vocals, organ,
synthesizer,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
,
electric piano, and occasional
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
and drums) and Jason Hammel (born February 1, 1976) (vocals, drums, percussion, and occasional synthesizer).
As of 2015, the duo has released four
EPs and seven full-length, studio albums. Their most recent album, ''
Mountaintops,'' was released on September 13, 2011.
History
Gardner and Hammel first met in
Lawrence
Lawrence may refer to:
Education Colleges and universities
* Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States
* Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
Preparator ...
,
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
,
while both were involved in relationships with other people. Even though they exchanged e-mails regularly, they did not get together until three months later. They originally played together in a four-piece rock band called Vosotros, in which they both sang and played guitar. Shortly after the couple moved to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
in 1998, Gardner began teaching, and Hammel applied to medical school.
They both opted later to devote their time to making music and touring together instead and got married in 2001. Gardner and Hammel originally lived together in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, and in 2004 they moved to
East Haven, Connecticut.
In February 2007, they sold their house in East Haven and relocated to
Stratford, Connecticut.
Gardner and Hammel have two daughters, Magnolia, born in 2004, and June Elizabeth, born in 2008. For the band, touring became a family affair, with both daughters going on the road with their parents. Gardner kept a 'blog, ''Band on the Diaper Run,'' that appeared on
Babble.com
''Babble'' was an online magazine and blog network targeting young, educated, urban parents. Their site operated a large network of parent blogs, employing many bloggers on the subjects of parenting and child-raising.
In early 2019, it was announ ...
. In its entries, she recounted their experiences of life on the road and the unique circumstance of touring with two young children in tow.
The main instruments Mates of State used in their early recordings were
drums and the
electric organ
An electric organ, also known as electronic organ, is an electronic keyboard instrument which was derived from the pump organ, harmonium, pipe organ and theatre organ. Originally designed to imitate their sound, or orchestral sounds, it has sinc ...
. Both had started out playing the guitar, but they ultimately found they were experimenting more with the organ and drums in their practice space than with any other musical instruments. On later recordings, the band moved away from the organ-dominated sound and incorporated additional instrumentation, beginning with the EP ''All Day'' and continuing on ''Bring It Back,'' their fourth studio album. The organ wasn't incorporated at all on their fifth album, "Re-Arrange Us."
Mates of State songs are notable for their male/female vocal
harmony, shifting
rhythm
Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular re ...
s, and quirky song structure – most tracks comprised distinct, almost disjointed movements. Both members tend to sing with great intensity, often in the upper ranges of their voices, and they often simultaneously sing different, complementary melodies and lyrics.
The band recorded one
album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
on Omnibus Records before moving to
Polyvinyl
In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Examples
Vinyl polymers are ...
for their second and third full-length albums. In December 2005, the band signed with
Barsuk Records
Barsuk Records ( ) is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, that was founded by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, in 1998 to release their band's material. Its logo is a draw ...
and released two full-length albums and an EP of remixes on the label.
On October 11, 2004, the band held a contest for fans to create their own video for "Goods (All In Your Head)," the first track on their ''All Day'' EP. The winning entry, directed by Jonathan Yi and Sam Goetz, became the official video for the song and was aired on
MTV on June 12, 2005. It became available for download in the Media section of the band's official site.
The band's fifth album, ''Re-Arrange Us,'' was released on May 20, 2008. For their tour in support of the album, Mates of State became a quartet by adding Lewis and
Anton Patzner of
Judgement Day
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
as multi-instrumentalists
to complement the duo's sound on select songs.
On June 15, 2010, Mates of State released their sixth studio album, ''
Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)
''Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)'' is the sixth full-length release by husband/wife duo Mates of State. It was released digitally via iTunes as well as from the band's website on June 15, 2010. On the band's website, they explained the reason for ...
,'' which consisted entirely of their cover versions of songs previously recorded by other musical artists,
including "Long Way Home" by
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...
and "
Son Et Lumiere" by
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is an American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas, formed in 2001. The band's only constant members are Omar Rodríguez-López (guitar, producer, direction) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals, lyrics), whose partnership for ...
. Music videos were shot for two of the songs:
Nick Cave's "
Love Letter
A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings.
History
One of the oldest references to a l ...
" and
Daniel Johnston
Daniel Dale Johnston (January 22, 1961 – September 11, 2019) was an American singer, musician and artist regarded as a significant figure in outsider, lo-fi, and alternative music scenes. Most of his work consisted of cassettes recorded a ...
's "True Love Will Find You in the End." The former was directed by
Daniel Garcia and the latter was produced in conjunction with
ABC News
ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...
for its indie rock program, "Amplified."
The band's most recent full-length album, ''
Mountaintops,'' was released on September 13, 2011. It also came out on Barsuk, the same independent label that released two of the band's previous records, ''Bring It Back'' and ''Re-Arrange Us.'' It consisted entirely of new original material.
Tours and performances
Mates of State have performed all over the globe; in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
,
Japan, and
Australia.
In the summer of 2001, they played shows with
Superdrag and
Beulah and, later in the year, opened for
The Anniversary
The Anniversary is an American band formed in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1997 by Josh Berwanger, James David, Christian Jankowski, Adrianne Verhoeven and Justin Roelofs. The Anniversary was the solidification of a line-up that had been in flux for ...
during the release tour for their album ''
Your Majesty
Majesty (abbreviated HM for His Majesty or Her Majesty, oral address Your Majesty; from the Latin ''maiestas'', meaning "greatness") is used as a manner of address by many monarchs, usually kings or queens. Where used, the style outranks the st ...
.''
In 2003, Mates of State toured with
Palomar.
In 2005, Mates of State toured with
Jimmy Eat World and
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keybo ...
, and performed at the
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...
in
Austin, Texas.
In 2006, Mates of State toured with
Spoon
A spoon is a utensil consisting of a shallow bowl (also known as a head), oval or round, at the end of a handle. A type of cutlery (sometimes called flatware in the United States), especially as part of a place setting, it is used primarily f ...
and
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyb ...
. Mates of State also provided support (alongside
Au Revoir Simone
Au Revoir Simone is an American indie pop band from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard/bass) and Heather D'Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard ...
) for
We Are Scientists
We Are Scientists is a New York City-based rock band that formed in Berkeley, California, in 1999. It consists primarily of guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and bass guitarist Chris Cain, with drummer Keith Carne joining the band in the studi ...
on their tour of the UK in November 2006.
During February and March 2007, Mates of State toured as the house band for
WBEZ
WBEZ (91.5 FM) – branded ''WBEZ 91.5'' – is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois, and primarily serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Financed by corporate underwriting, government funding and lis ...
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
's ''
This American Life
''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internatio ...
,'' hosted by
Ira Glass
Ira Jeffrey Glass (; born March 3, 1959) is an American public radio personality. He is the host and producer of the radio and television series ''This American Life'' and has participated in other NPR programs, including ''Morning Edition'', ' ...
. Tour locations included New York, Boston, Seattle, Chicago, and Minneapolis. Recordings of some of the band's performances during this tour were included in a 2008 episode titled "What I Learned from Television." On
Earth Day in 2007, Mates of State headlined the Concert for a Green Earth in
Westport, Connecticut.
In 2008, the team appeared again at the
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...
, in addition to performing at
Lollapalooza in Chicago, the
All Points West Music & Arts Festival
The All Points West Music & Arts Festival was an annual music and arts festival held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey. First held in August 2008, it was hosted by Goldenvoice/AEG Live events, the same company that hosts the simila ...
in
Jersey City, and the
Pemberton Music Festival in Pemberton, BC. In 2009, they played at
Diversafest in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the
Voodoo Fest in New Orleans on
Halloween weekend.
In 2010, they appeared on the children's television show
Yo Gabba Gabba
''Yo Gabba Gabba!'' is a children's musical television series created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz. The series is about five costumed toys come-to-life and their friend DJ Lance Rock ( Lance Robertson). It is co-produced by Magic Sto ...
in
Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
, New York.
Beginning in 2010, the band toured with backing musicians Kenji Shinagawa on guitar and John Panos on trumpet, both graduates of the University of Miami.
On February 16, 2012, the band began a 9-day tour of the East Coast at Union Transfer in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, Pennsylvania.
On June 11, 2013, they joined
The Postal Service
The Postal Service are an American indie pop supergroup from Seattle, Washington, consisting of singer Ben Gibbard, producer Jimmy Tamborello, and Jenny Lewis on background vocals.
The band released their only album, '' Give Up'', in 2003 on S ...
's "Give Up" ten-year reunion tour at the Air Canada Theater in Toronto. The tour had stops in Boston, at the sold out Barclay's Center in Brooklyn and shows in Minnesota and Kansas City. Mates of State opened The Postal Service's last show ever on August 4, 2013 at the Metro in Chicago. It was also the official Lollapalooza closing party.
They performed two songs in conjunction with
BYUtv
BYU TV (stylized as BYUtv) is a television channel, founded in 2000, which is owned and operated as a part of Brigham Young University (BYU). The channel, available through cable and satellite distributors in the United States, produces a number ...
's
Studio C: "Dealbreaker" in October 2013 and "Kill the Whales" in May 2014.
Films
* ''
The Rumperbutts'' (2015). Lead actors, producers, and composers. Starring alongside
Josh Brener
Joshua Max Brener is an American actor. He played the roles of Kyle on the IFC series ''Maron'' and Nelson "Big Head" Bighetti on the HBO series ''Silicon Valley''. In animation, he provides the voices of Donatello on ''Rise of the Teenage Muta ...
,
Arian Moayed
Arian Moayed ( fa, آرین مؤید, born April 15, 1980) is an Iranian-American actor, writer, and director. Moayed received a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in ''Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo'' a ...
, and
Vanessa Ray
Vanessa Ray Liptak (born June 24, 1981) is an American actress. She is known for her role on ''Pretty Little Liars'' as Charlotte Drake; and also for her roles as Jenny on the legal drama series '' Suits'', Teri Ciccone on the soap opera ''As t ...
. Distributed by Mance Media.
* ''Two of Us'' (2004). Produced, directed, shot, and edited by Thadd Day. Released by Hooked on Sonics!
* The song "My Only Offer" features prominently in the last half of the trailer for the 2009 documentary "Best Worst Movie."
*
Discography
Albums
EPs
* ''European Tour 2003 EP''
Fickle Fame 2003)
* ''All Day EP'' (
Polyvinyl
In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Examples
Vinyl polymers are ...
, 2004)
* ''Re-Arranged: Remixes Volume 1'' (
Barsuk, 2009)
* ''You’re Going To Make It'' (Barsuk, 2015)
Singles
* ''Mates of State/Fighter D Split'' (Omnibus, 1999)
* "It's the Law/Invitation Inn" (Omnibus, 2000)
* "Lower" (Devil in the Woods, 2001) *Note: split single with
The Shins
The Shins is an American indie rock band formed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1996. The band is the project of singer-songwriter James Mercer, who has served as the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes. The band's cu ...
&
Sparklehorse
* "Beehive State/Über Legitimate" (Snow Globe, 2001)
* ''These Days'' (
Polyvinyl
In polymer chemistry, vinyl polymers are a group of polymers derived from substituted vinyl () monomers. Their backbone is an extended alkane chain . In popular usage, "vinyl" refers only to polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
Examples
Vinyl polymers are ...
, 2002) *Note: split single with
Dear Nora
Dear Nora is an indie pop band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1999 by songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist Katy Davidson, drummer and vocalist Marianna Ritchey, and bassist Ryan Wise. Ritchey and Wise were previously members of Wolf Colonel. They n ...
* "Fraud in the '80s" (
Moshi Moshi, 2006)
* "Like U Crazy" (Moshi Moshi, 2006)
* "Staring Contest" (Barsuk / Fierce Panda, 2015)
Other releases
* 2002 – "Why You Little..." on the compilation CD ''Ten Years of Noise Pop'' (Amazing Grease)
* 2005 – "Invitation Inn" on the compilation ''A House Full of Friends'' (Magic Marker)
* 2006 – "California" (
Phantom Planet
Phantom Planet is an American rock band from Los Angeles, formed in 1994. The band consists of Alex Greenwald (vocals, rhythm guitar), Darren Robinson (lead guitar), Sam Farrar (bass guitar) and Jeff Conrad (drums). The band is best known for ...
cover) on the compilation ''
Music from the OC: Mix 6'' (WEA)
* 2006 – "Popular Mistakes" on the compilation ''This is a Care Package'' (Exotic Fever)
* 2007 – "Jellyman Kelly" (
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
cover) on the compilation ''For The Kids III'' (RCA)
* 2008 – "
Little Boxes
"Little Boxes" is a song written and composed by Malvina Reynolds in 1962, which became a hit for her friend Pete Seeger in 1963, when he released his cover version.
The song is a social satire about the development of suburbia, and associa ...
" (
Malvina Reynolds cover), was recorded as theme music for an episode of ''
Weeds'' but never appeared on the program
* 2010 – "I Will Dare" (
Replacements cover) is featured on
The Onion's A.V. Club Undercover, with
comedian Todd Barry
Todd or Todds may refer to:
Places
;Australia:
* Todd River, an ephemeral river
;United States:
* Todd Valley, California, also known as Todd, an unincorporated community
* Todd, Missouri, a ghost town
* Todd, North Carolina, an unincorporat ...
on drums
* 2012 − "I am a Scientist" (
Guided by Voices cover) on the compilation "Science Fair" (Spoil the Rock)
References
External links
Mates of State interviewat
SuicideGirls
SuicideGirls is an online community-based website that revolves around pin-up photography sets of models known as the Suicide Girls.
The website was founded in 2001 by Selena Mooney ("Missy Suicide") and Sean Suhl ("Spooky").
Most of the site ...
Mates of State interview/performanceat Minnesota Public Radio
Mates of State in concert at NPR MusicInterview with the Cornell Daily Sun
{{Authority control
American indie pop groups
Indie rock musical groups from Kansas
Musical groups established in 1997
Musicians from Lawrence, Kansas
Rock music duos
Barsuk Records artists
Fierce Panda Records artists
Polyvinyl Record Co. artists
American musical duos
Male–female musical duos