Mates Of State is the husband/wife duo of Kori Gardner (organ, vox) and Jason Hammel (drums, vox). They quit their day jobs (teacher and cancer researcher, respectively) in 2001, got married, and hit the road, bringing their love to the rest of the world. The Mates have released three full-length albums, My Solo Project, Our Constant Concern, and Team Boo, as well as numerous singles and EPs, most recently last year's All Day EP.
Mates Of State's unique, often complex, and always catchy pop gems defy genre boundaries. Though a duo, they never fail to generate an abundance of melody and harmony via monster, bass-heavy organ, creative drumming, and alternately lushly layered and playfully dueling vocals. Their live show has amassed a reputation worldwide as a uniquely joyous experience--capacity crowds smiling, dancing, and singing along with every word.
Bring It Back marks a change in the band's writing and recording process, mandated by the happy birth of their daughter. Instead of writing in small durations throughout the year as on previous efforts, Mates compressed and focused their joint songwriting time into five-to-six hour shifts throughout the days, and then worked individually to fine-tune the songs in the evenings and mornings. "We found that having a hefty amount of time each day to work on art was extremely inspiring," Hammel said. "We had never done it that way before, mostly because we didn't have a child who deservedly dictated our schedule. In fact, we continue that process now, and love just making music more regularly year-round, rather than only when we're not on tour."
Meanwhile, their increased technical knowledge gained from years of touring led to greater experimentation while recording. Hammel used diverse drum sounds on each song, adding in different drums, mics, and muffling techniques; while Gardner used around 20 different keyboards and sounds. "Lots more overdubbing, effecting, compressing, singing into walkie-talkies and paper-towel rolls too," recalls Hammel.
The result is the joyous, thoughtful Bring It Back, the most varied and sophisticated record of their career. It's Mates Of State at their complex, yet lighthearted, best: impeccably layered music that rewards attention, analysis, and repeated listens--but also instantly enchanting, drawing you in at once with hook stacked upon incredible, undeniable hook. Love it for the detail, love it because it makes you dance and bob your head, but give Bring It Back a listen, and you may just find love.
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