Band battles pigeonholing

Yes, the musical partners are married. The band goes beyond that.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Mates of State drummer-vocalist Jason Hammel is married to his career.
His wife, singer-keyboardist Kori Gardner, is also his musical partner. As for the quirky, poppy indie band, it has garnered more press and acclaim with each of its first three albums -- 2000's "My Solo Project," 2002's "Our Constant Concern" and 2003's "Team Boo."
That's the good news. What's troubling for Hammel is the pigeonholing, which ironically is isn't based on their music but their marital status.
"It's a pretty standard thing of like, 'Oh, it's all cupcakes and lollipops because they're married and it's all bliss," Hammel said. "Things are great for us and we're happy, but we're normal people with highs and lows. And I'm not complaining, but when all you hear in any article, 'Married couple, this and that,' a lot of times it just turns people off because they're like, 'I don't want to hear that [crap], I want some rock 'n' roll.' So a lot of times the stigma of being married -- which I don't have a problem with -- gets tedious to talk about in interviews."
What's amusing
It's kind of funny to hear Hammel walk the tightrope of seeking band credibility without completely disparaging his marriage to the lovely Gardner, who gave birth to their first child, Magnolia, in 2004. Perhaps the issue of bliss stems from the fact the duo's first three albums were exercises in sugar-coated pop with sonic harmonies and sunny melodies. Thankfully, this isn't the case with the latest Mates of State album "Bring it Back," which is not only the duo's best to date but also one of 2006's better releases.
Sure, the lush pop melodies, intricate vocal harmonies and clever songwriting remain, but there's a certain gravity that permeates the 10-track album from start to finish, thus taking the twosome to higher ground. And if you take a good listen to the lyrics, there's a sense of conflict and uncertainty. However, its source isn't exactly what you may think.
"The relationship hasn't been bumpy at all," Hammel said. "There were a lot of questions of where are we headed as artists? Like we really need to do something to evolve, otherwise it's going to stay the same as it's always been, and we don't want to do that."
With their new child, the husband-wife act had to approach writing a new album differently. This appears to be the smoking gun of creativity with the two writing together in five-hour blocks three times a week while Magnolia was at day care, followed by each member individually writing and tinkering in shifts.
What they got
The result is a layered, harmonious affair with album closer "Running Out" epitomizing the new Mates of State sound. Gardner creates a drained atmosphere of relational misery with heartfelt vocals overtop an organ grind, while Hammel's percussion moves things forward, eventually blistering into a noisy and uncharacteristic din.
In many ways, "Bring it Back" is Mates of States' coming out album, which will define its career for years to come.
"We personally felt that no matter what people say about it, it's the best thing we've done and the best thing we could have done at this moment," Hammel said. "We really worked hard at it and were in this space where we were inspired. And if people hate it, it's fine because we really sincerely believe that it's good."
Mates of State will perform at 9 p.m. Sunday at Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland. Tickets are $10; call (216) 383-1124 or go to www.beachlandballroom.com.