Jenny: Ok, umm... Hey I can't read! Cause I wrote in pink.
Kori: Those pens are bad news
Jason: It's the yellow light

Jenny: How long have you guys been together, and how is your tour going so far?
Kori: Together as a band? Four years. And touring has been great. Like, that's pretty much all we do now. It's great.

Sanjit: Thanks for coming to San Diego. Most people just pass on by here.
Kori: No, we liked it last time, we'll always come by here.

Lee: How do you guys write your songs, do you write them together, what's your normal process for writing?
Jason: For us, we just write exclusively in our rehearsal space. We just sort of get behind our instruments...
Kori: But it's always together
Jason: Yeah, it's always together
Kori: Neither of us write something and bring it up and the other one learns it. It's always right there together.
Jason: And we sit down and we like write our, we usually start with like an organ part or a drum part, and then we kind of make a part that we like, and then we add vocals.
Kori: We also write piece by piece, like I don't think we ever sit there and go 'What should the song structure of this song be?' I don't think it's ever like 'We need two verses and a chorus.' You know, it's always like 'This part goes cool! Ok, let's take the other cool part!'
Jason: Yeah, we'll write just like random parts and then try to fit them together.

Addison: Did you guys really record you're album in just seven days, the latest one?
Kori: Oh yeah, and that was the longest we've ever recorded. Yeah, we were in there, we were going 'We have so much time!' And Dave, who's the engineer, he was like 'Are you kidding me, I have never recorded an album in this length of time.' So, we don't really love the studio, we sort of just like to get in, record, and leave, you know. I'd rather play live. Plus there's two of us, i think it probably takes longer if there's four different instruments.
Jason: Yeah, that's true, we don't really use a lot of over-dubs, and like musical or vocal over-dubs. And we sing together in the studio too, we do the vocal tracks at the same time.
Kori: So that cuts the time in half.
Jason: But a lot of people do one person at a time. Even with guitars and stuff, like they'll lay down the bass and the drums. We do it it all straight out...
Kori: We just record it all at the same time. Well, we record instruments at the same time...
Kori and Jason: and vocals at the same time.

Jean: So, how do you think being in a relationship changes playing music? Is it better than, if you've even done anything else before?
Kori: Oh yeah, it's so much easier. I recommend it.
Jason: We've both played in bands where we weren't in relationships with the people...
Kori: I mean you can't really even set up tours without somebody's schedule being conflicted. And then the whole thing with decision making. Like when you're with someone you know really well, and it's only one other person, there's never a struggle as far as that goes.
Jason: Yeah, it's a lot easier for sure.
Kori: It's the way to go.

Addison: What other kind of bands have you guys been in?
Kori: Before this we actually had a band together where we both played guitar. It was a traditional, like two guitars, bass and drums. It was out of the midwest, so you can probably pretty much guess the sound. And before that, I sort of had like one rock band before that, and then other than that I played in like acoustic stuff, or like solo acoustic guitar stuff. And he was more like...
Jason: just in rock bands...
Kori: hardcore, whatever...
Jason: not hardcore...
Kori: All that crap, no just kidding!
Jason: Not ever hardcore bands, but definitely more rock oriented than this band.

Jean: So how did you guys decide to like make this sort of sound?
Kori: That's the thing, it wasn't really a decision.
Jason: It was pretty spontaneous.
Kori: The other band we were in before this, we were up at practice and the two members like called and canceled. We were up there and there was a drum set, and my organ was stored up there. So we were like, let's just play around tonight. And we did that, and, i dunno, we just thought it was like something different. We were like 'let's go play an open mic!' It was totally a joke, and then...
Jason: And we started doing that about six months before we left Lawrence. And we played out a few times, so we were still kind of developing what we ended up sounding like. And then I think once we actually moved to San Francisco too, where there's a lot more pop going on, it probably influenced us in some way.
Kori: Definitely.
Jason: 'Oh, you don't have to write about being a college kid,' this and that, you know. Here we were, out on our own...
Kori: You can be happy. It's not a bad thing.
Jason: Cause we both always have been really into melody, and sort of pop sensibilities anyway. So, it worked out fine.

Jean: Is that why you moved to San Francisco, to be able to get into the pop scene?
Kori: No, I didn't really know, I had never been to San Francisco. The only place in California I had been was actually San Diego, cause my grandparents used to live here. I think we had, I really had no clue what kind of music was here. I was totally sheltered in the idea that, I thought all indie rock sounded like exactly what came out of Lawrence, Kansas. And then when I got here I was like 'Oh!' I mean I listened to stuff from other places, but for the most part we were just into rock.
Jason: Yeah, and we didn't even know that many bands that were playing in San Francisco at the time. There were a couple, but they don't exist now, and they didn't even by the time we had gotten there.
Kori: So it was sort of eye opening. And when we lived in Kansas, when we did Mates of State there for the six shows we did, we didn't really sing together. So I think that's what changed when we moved to San Francisco.
Jason: Also the fact that we didn't know anybody too, once we moved to California. So all we did, we had each other in a practice space, and we just played all the time. And really learned how to play our instruments and sing at the same time, and worked out a lot of the harmonies, and that sort of thing.

Jenny: Could you tell us how you guys got your name, because Sanjit had a theory and he was wondering if it was right.
Kori: Well let's hear your theory.
Sanjit: My theory is that you guys both went to a State college and you guys were mates, so you became the Mates of State.
Jason: That's half correct.
Sanjit: Oh, sweet!
Kori: We'll just leave it at that.
Jason: It wasn't a State college though. We didn't go to Kansas State, we went to Kansas University. Is that what you mean?
Sanjit: Yeah, something like that.
Jason: The state more has to do with like a matter of state, or state of matter.
Kori: Or mind.
Jason: Versus like the state you know, like the fifty states.
Kori: It's kind of a double meaning, no, it's really not that deep. It's just a name. it rhymes, so we thought it was cool.
Jason: We actually did just sit down one night and sort of brainstorm, i guess you would call it. And, once we struck upon that, we were like 'yeah, that's it.'
Kori: We also wanted something like a team, you know. There's only two of us.

Jean: What were your other ideas for a name?
Kori: I don't know, I don't think we should say.
Jason: I don't even remember. Can you remember?
Kori: I remember at one point we were...
Jason: Whisper before you...
Kori: No, I don't remember, but I remember combining our our names and trying to come up with like a cool word. It didn't work.
Jason: Needless to say, it didn't happen that way.
Kori: Although, umm, the Venice Beats was a name I just thought of the other day. I thought like if we ever had to rename the band or something.
Jason: I don't know if you could get a unanimous agreement on that.
Kori: Because, I meant to say Venice Beach, and it came out Venice Beats, and I was like 'That'd be a rad name for a band.'
Jean: Would you go on tour like on the beach?
Kori: Yeah, on the beach - the Venice Beats on the Venice Beach. No, I'm just kidding, I would never do that.
Jean: There's a one man band there.
Kori: There's a lot of crazy things going on there.

Jenny: Could you tell us about your new album and what you like about it?
Jason: Yeah, we're pretty excited about it. I think it's a lot more dynamic than the first one. And, the song subject matter is mostly about things that have been going on in the last year, with quitting our jobs to tour, and getting married, and that sort of thing.
Kori: Yeah, and as far as analyzing it, the things I like about it is that there's like half, the second half of the record to me is basically reminiscent of the first record, and then the first half of it, I think is like this whole new, for me it was like a whole new territory. Like more mellow, and just more changes, and the lyrics were - I've heard they're not clear on this one either - but to me they're a little more clear. So, I like that aspect of it.
Jason: Yeah, we worked on the lyrics, we had more time to work on the lyrics for this record.

Sanjit: So, it took you guys seven days to record, but how long did it take to come up with the songs?
Kori: A year.
Jason: Yeah, pretty much since the inception of the last record is when we started writing songs for this one.
Kori: But then again, I mean, most of them were written in like a four month span. Because once you start realizing that there's like a date in sight that you have to record, it's like, 'Ok well we need five more songs.' Actually two...
Jason: Actually a couple of the songs, yeah, we actually finished in the studio. Which was something that, well we had skeletons of them, but it was new to us to actually be in the studio, on the clock, so to speak, and writing the lyrics, and finishing what would become the songs.
Kori: Yeah cause normally it was we'd play a song for two, for the first record, we would play a song for two years, and then record it. So it was like done completely, nothing was changing.
Sanjit: So it's pretty spontaneous, the last couple of songs?
Jason: Yeah, two of the songs...
Kori: Two of the songs...
Jason: Not the last two specifically, but yeah.
Kori: Actually it's the second track, and the...
Jason: Fourth track.
Kori: Fourth track.

Addison: So are you guys happy with the outcome?
Kori: Yeah, it's sort of, we're still in that weird phase where it just came out. It's like, it's weird cause the first record, nobody knew who we were, and no one really cared. And it was like, people are usually more positive. So now there's this second record and it's like, 'I dunno, I'm happy with it, i don't know, don't compare them.'
Jason: It's always about comparison.
Kori: Yeah, I mean I'm guilty of that too, so I'm ready for it, hearing all the criticism. But I mean, we're happy with it, so really we don't care.
Jason: Yeah we're pretty much, almost, almost past the point, I should say, that where, you know, you can let that stuff bounce off of you.
Kori: I mean we're definitely past the point of listening to it.
Jason: And you get some feedback, and you just start to realize, like yeah some people are gonna like it and some people aren't. That goes with anything, so, you know. Just so, as long as one more person likes it than dislikes it, then you're ok.
Kori: Or, if one person in the whole world likes it, well then cool.

Jenny: Do you have any more singles coming out, like any more covers? I really love that Beehive State cover you did. It was like way better than the original.
Kori: You think? Well no we actually heard it as a cover song. I hadn't heard the original until after that seven inch came out. We heard it, you should check out the Nilson's cover of the Newman song.
Jenny: Is that one better?
Kori: Yeah, that's what we learned it from.
Jason: That's on piano.
Kori: It's very pretty.
Jason: Did you hear the original version, the Randy Newman version?
Jenny: Yeah, I don't like Randy Newman at all.
Kori: Yeah go for the Nilson's version.
Jason: Harry Nilson does it on piano.
Kori: There's a whole record called Nilson sings Newman. It's like one of the coolest records. Anyway, tangent. But no, I don't think...
Jason: Well, we talked about it, we talked about doing another one. There was a seven inch that came out with The Devil In The Woods subscription. i don't know if you've seen that magazine. There's an old song, actually, we probably wrote about three years ago.
Kori: And then there's a Shins song on it. And I think some other band.
Jason: And a Sparklehorse.
Kori: Yeah, a Sparklehorse song.
Jason: But I think they only pressed five hundred and it goes to subscribers of the magazine.
Kori: We don't have plans to do that, but we do have like all these different cover song ideas, we just haven't narrowed it down yet. So, we'll see.

Addison: Are you guys gonna play any tonight?
Kori: We can play the Randy Newman one.
Jenny: Yeah! Awesome.

Kori: Sounds like that's a wrap.