Mates Of State

As one of half of the husband-and-wife indie pop duo, Mates of State, Kori Gardner recently announced a new tour. The Kansas native, who has been performing alongside her husband, Jason Hammel, handles the vocals, synthesizer, electric piano and, occasionally, the guitar. Mates of State, has over the past 14 years released seven full-length albums, including Mountaintops, which just hit stores last September. They have also made several appearances on hit television shows such as The O.C., 90210, Ugly Betty, One Tree Hill and The Late Show with David Letterman, as well as touring around the globe with some of the biggest bands in music such as Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab for Cutie and Taking Back Sunday.

Gardner and Hammel experienced one of the more difficult challenges any parent-pop duo can ever encounter: raising a family while being on tour. In our exclusive interview with Gardner, the indie pop singer talks about various topics which include how to balance the life of being both a parent and performer, her experience performing on Letterman, how she met Hammel, the highs and lows of touring, what keeps them grounded and plans for the future.