Mates of State Keep It In The Family

(Mates of State [L-R]: Kori Gardner, Jason Hammel. Photo by Terry Loewenthal)

It’s an old rock cliché that being in a band is like being in a relationship. But for married duo Mates of State, this cliché has been a way of life through four albums of organ-driven indie pop, full of girl-group harmonies and dueling vocals about love and all the issues that come with it. As the couple gets ready to hit the road behind its latest album, Bring It Back, we asked organist Kori Gardner and drummer Jason Hammel what they thought the five best or worst things were about making music with your spouse.

1. Egos Stay In Check: “It’s impossible to get too big of a head when you’re around your husband or wife,” says Gardner. “If Jason starts thinking he’s great, I’ll call him on it. I can tell him the truth in a way I might be afraid to with others.”

2. Every Moment Is Spent Together: “People ask how we spend so much time together without killing each other, but we’ve gotten used to it,” Gardner says. “It’s like we’re in the beginning of a relationship when you stay up talking until 5 a.m. and want to spend every moment together. For most people, jobs and real life intrude at some point and you forget those feelings. We don’t have to deal with that.”

3. You Have to Fight the Rock ’n’ Roll Myths: “Because we’re married and have a kid, people assume we’re a domestic, family act and that we’re not rock ‘n’ roll,” says Hammel. “But the two things are not incompatible. Kori actually got pregnant on the road—it was backstage while Death Cab was playing.”

4. Booking Practice is Easier: “We started Mates of State because people in our previous bands wouldn’t show up to practice,” Gardner explains. “Now, we don’t have to tell everyone when practice is—we just do it in our house on our own schedule.”

5. No Groupies Required: “When you’re married, you can have sex on the road anytime you want,” says Gardner. “You don’t have to wait for groupies.”