Formed in Lawrence, Kan., ripened in San Francisco and now based in New Haven, Conn., Mates of State is the musical and marital team of singer/organist Kori Gardner and drummer/vocalist Jason Hammel. They specialize in constructing infectiously melodic and emotionally nuanced songcraft that proves especially effective in a live setting. Formed in 1997, the duo issued a pair of EPs leading up to their 2000 full-length debut, My Solo Project. Polyvinyl picked that album up and followed it with 2002s Our Constant Concern and 2003s Team Boo, after which the Mates (who married in 2000) jumped over to Barsuk for 2006s Bring It Back. Gardner and Hammel finished recording their fifth album in January and plan to release it later this year.