“LOVE LETTER” VIDEO, FREE DOWNLOAD OF “LAURA” ALSO UP AT BAND’S SITE
SUMMER CRUSHES TOUR FEATURING FREE ENERGY, TODD BARRY, NICK THUNE, SUCKERS AND MORE KICKS OFF JUNE 15
Mates of State’s Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) is now available for pre-order at matesofstate.com for a beyond reasonable $5. The self-released digital-only album will be released on June 15 and will then be available at all finer digital music retailers
“We are really proud of this record—it may be our best yet,” says Jason Hammel who is one half of Mates of State. The other half, wife Kori Gardner says, “We made it as efficiently and independently as possible, so in turn we wanted to make it as easy as possible for anyone and everyone to hear it. Selling it directly from our site for $5 seemed like a good way to do that.”
Also just unveiled at matesofstate.com is the brand new video for the band’s cover of Nick Cave’s “Love Letter.” The literally and figuratively smoldering clip was directed by Daniel Garcia, who visually interpreted “Get Better” from Mates of State’s 2008 album Re-Arrange Us, and has directed videos for TV On The Radio, The Go! Team and J Dilla.
Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) is an album consisting of covers of songs by some of the Mates’ personal favorites by artists ranging from the above referenced Nick Cave to Death Cab For Cutie to Fleetwood Mac to Girls, whose “Laura” is now available in its Mates reinterpretation as a free download at matesofstate.com. It is the first full album recorded and produced by Mates Hammel and Gardner themselves, with a mixing assist from longtime collaborator Peter Katis (The National, Swell Season, Interpol, etc.).
Finally, Mates of State recently announced the lineup and itinerary of the Summer Crushes tour, a traveling spectacle to take place this June through July. The Summer Crushes tour will see the band’s signature ebullient and uplifting performances supported on this one time only occasion by multimedia guests ranging from the unpretentious rock of Free Energy to the wit of comedians Todd Barry (Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, Bored to Death) and Nick Thune (Comedy Central Presents, Knocked Up). The Summer Crushes tour will also see the Mates presiding over and holding together this unique roadshow, transforming familiar venues they’ve previously headlined into venues for a virtual traveling variety show featuring live magic, sword swallowers, contortionists, and more. In addition, Mates’ own Jason Hammel will serve as the tour’s resident DJ.
For further information, see the itinerary below and/or contact Amy Grote at nasty little man t 212 343 0740 e amy@nastylittleman.com
Mates of State
SUMMER CRUSHES TOUR
6/15 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse * #
6/16 Rochester, NY @ Water Street * #
6/17 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church % #
6/18 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s * #
6/19 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop * #
6/21 Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century * #
6/22 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall * #
6/23 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar *
6/24 Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Bar *
6/25 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown *
6/26 Denver, CO @ Bluebird *
6/28 Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue *
6/30 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^
7/1 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall * ^
7/2 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo * ^
7/3 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo * ^
7/4 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
7/6 Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s *
7/7 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre *
7/8 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live *
7/9 Baton Rouge @ Spanish Moon *
7/10 Birmingham @ Workplay *
7/12 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt * ^
7/13 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel * ^
7/14 Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar * ^
7/15 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall ^
7/16 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ^
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* w/ Free Energy
# w/ Todd Barry
^ w/ Nick Thune
% w/ Suckers