Mates of State is a band composed of two people—Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner—who happen to be married. And their upbeat, clap-able tunes make marriage sound really, really fun. But things got complicated for the couple when they had their first daughter, Magnolia, four years ago and even more complicated two years later, when they had a second daughter, June. But they didn’t let having kids stop their days of making music and touring—nope, they decided to bring the girls on the road with them. And in their rider, they stipulate that venues provide “surprises for a 2-year-old and surprises for a 4-year-old.” Kori and Jason say people have taken this very, very seriously.
