Being in a band is hard work. Being in a band and being in a relationship with your bandmate is even harder. Plenty of bands have fallen because the relationship went south. Sure, a band like the Rosebuds kept it together after their break-up, but from ABBA to Sonic Youth, failed marriages have wrecked havoc on good bands.

Mates of State have been playing in bands since 1998 but in 2000 the duo of Kori Gardner on organ and Jason Hammel on drums released their first album My Solo Project. A year later the pair were married and have since released five more proper albums. With each subsequent release up to last year’s Mountaintops, Mates of State’s sound widened with the addition of guitars and horns, but now the pair have decided to embark on a short small room back-to-basics tour that makes a stop at the Rock and Roll Hotel tonight.

The pair is playing classic MoS songs that have been neglected for years. Today’s song of the day “Middle is Gold” is from MoS’s third album Team Boo. The shifting song that goes through many changed before rushing into the final singalong worth lyrics.

Mates of State plays tonight with In the Valley Below at the Rock and Roll Hotel. Tickets are $15.