Mates of State are an American indie rock duo, active since 1997. The group is composed of the husband-and-wife team Kori Gardner (vocals, Electone and Hammond B-3 electric organs, Casio synthesizer, and Rhodes electric piano, piano, and occasional guitar) and Jason Hammel (vocals, drum set, glockenspiel, other percussion, and occasional Casio synthesizer).
Gardner and Hammel met in Lawrence, Kansas, while they were involved with other people and other musical projects. Although they exchanged daily e-mails, they didn't get together until three months later when they were both single again, and were inseparable from then on. The main instruments used by the band are drum set and the electric organ. Although they both started out playing the guitar, they found they ended up fooling around with the organ and the drums in their practice space more often than with more traditional instruments. They formed in Lawrence, Kansas in 1997 while both were playing together in a four-piece rock band called Vosotros, in which they both sang and played electric guitar. Shortly thereafter moving to California, Hammel applied to medical school, but opted in 2001 to devote his time to making music and touring with Gardner. They married in 2001.
Mates of State's songs are notable for their male/female vocal harmony, shifting rhythms, and quirky song structure - most tracks comprise distinct, almost disjointed movements. Both members sing with great intensity, often in the upper ranges of their voices, and often simultaneously sing different, complementary melodies and lyrics. Tempos are nearly always fast, with beats often resembling those found in electronic club or dance music.
The band recorded one album on Omnibus Records before moving to Polyvinyl for their second and third full-lengths. They have also released five 7-inch singles and two EPs. In December 2005 the band signed with Barsuk Records and released an album entitled Bring It Back on March 21, 2006.
On October 11, 2004, the band held a contest for fans to create their own video for the first track on their All Day EP: "Goods (All In Your Head)." The winning entry became the official video for the song, and was aired on MTV on June 12, 2005. It and an all-dance video made by director G. J. Echternkamp are available for download in the Media section of the band's official site (below). Interestingly, there were at least two versions of the dance video, one in which Echternkamp dances alone in a room during the song and another version in which he is joined by new dancers throughout the video. The solo dance was first available for download and later replaced by the version with multiple dancers. The explanation for this can be found in the band's online forum.
Gardner and Hammel originally lived in San Francisco, California, but have resided since 2004 in East Haven, Connecticut. In February 2007 they sold their house in East Haven and are currently living in New York.
"Goods (All In Your Head)" from All Day EP appeared in the 2007 film In the Land of Women.
The song "For the Actor" from the album Bring It Back is shown on an AT&T commercial for wireless phones. The group is shown on stage performing the song.
The band has completed work on its next album, scheduled to be released in May 2008.
Gardner and Hammel have two daughters, Magnolia and June Elizabeth.
