Mates of State are an indie-pop duo from the US, and consist of husband and wife, Kori Gardner (vocals/keys) and Jason Hammel (vocals/drums).
The band have a long and wide back catalogue, flitting between emo, indie and pure pop. They kicked things off at the Scholar Bar in Leicester with the dark and brooding “So Many Ways”, before moving into their well-known “My Only Offer”.
Despite a quiet and reserved crowd, the band weren’t afraid to have some fun, especially when playing tracks like “Staring Contest”; they ditched the instruments and came out to the front of the stage, dancing and singing.
Even though the crowd wasn’t top notch, the band took requests, including for “The Re-Arranger”, courtesy of us, which was a real highlight.
They closed things off with “Beautiful Kids” taken from their new EP, as the crowd eventually moved in a little closer to the stage, it brought a fun show to a close.
Mates of State are a horrifically under-appreciated band, with some amazing hooks, a range of multi-instrumentation and a catalogue of pure hits.
