Mates Of State Biography
Kori Gardner (keyboard/vocals) and Jason Hammel (drums/vocals) were both playing guitar and singing in the Kansas music metropolis of Lawrence before forming the Mates of State in 1997. With their dual vocal harmonies and minimal pop appeal, Omnibus Records released Mates of State's first EP as a split with Fighter D in 1999. Upon a relocation to San Francisco, the duo's second EP, It's the Law/Invitation Inn, and a debut studio effort, My Solo Project, followed in 2000. Tours of the Midwest followed into the next year and creative ideas continued to swirl. Hammel and Gardner, who were married in early 2001, inked themselves a deal with Polyvinyl prior to recording a follow-up. Summer days were spent playing shows with Superdrag, the Anniversary, and Beulah while writing songs on the road. Those sessions lead to the second album, Our Constant Concern, in 2002. The next spring Polyvinyl reissued their debut album, My Solo Project, and later on the full-length Team Boo. After their contract was up with Polyvinyl (ending with the 2004 EP All Day), Mates of State decided to head over to Barsuk, the label that released their fourth record, Bring It Back, in 2006. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Ayreon Biography: The progressive metal outfit Ayreon is essentially just Dutch multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Arjen Anthony Lucassen (formerly of the more mainstream metal band Vengeance), plus a revolving-door...
Cardiacs Biography: Combining the D.I.Y.-attitude of the early punk years with an affection for progressive rock acts such as Gong and Gentle Giant, the U.K. act the Cardiacs formed in late 1977 by Tim Smith, who...
Eve Biography: Eve was one of a new breed of tough, talented, commercially viable female MCs to hit the rap scene during the late '90s. Though she could be sexy when she chose, she wasn't as over the top as Lil'...
Nevio Biography: Count Nevio Passaro among the myriad young singers launched to fame via the reality TV phenomenon of the early 21st century. Born May 11, 1980 in Bad Windsheim, Germany, Passaro toured as a teen with...
Ancient Biography: Black metal band Ancient began in 1992 as the solo project of guitarist/composer Aphazel, soon expanding to a duo with the addition of vocalist/drummer Grimm; after selling out the entire pressing of...
Keane Biography: Tom Chaplin (vocals), Richard Hughes (drums), and Tim Rice-Oxley (piano) are childhood friends from Battle, East Sussex, England, and together they make the merry pop sounds of Keane. Formed in 1997...
40 below summer Biography: Coming from New Jersey, 40 Below Summer delivers a sole and surpassed aggressiveness on their edgy and heavy rock tunes, at the same time supporting it with an indubitable sense of melody. Adjoining...
Maniac butcher Biography: One of the Czech Republic's first extreme metal bands, Maniac Butcher was formed in 1992, before Czechoslovakia's peaceful splintering, and went on to release a handful of albums and even...