“Hey, I like it like this,” says Kori Gardner in the opening seconds of Mates of State’s new single, “Staring Contest,” right before the beat builds and the summery pop tune launches into the first keynotes of its three-minute-plus run. Gardner, along with husband and bandmate Jason Hammel, sings about the throes of young love – blacktops, chain-linked fences and all the other childhood playground imagery that comes along with the feelings of a new crush.

Though the track is about new love, for Gardner and Hammel, maybe it’s about rekindling love, or possibly reinventing it. If reinvention was what they sought, “Staring Contest” is a step in the right direction, a uniquely fresh push forward that progresses the duo’s sound, while their deftness for catchy hooks and powerful emotion remain as strong as ever.

The single is the first of a new five-song EP coming out June 16 on Barsuk Records, optimistically titled You’re Going To Make It. Don’t miss this one:

Mates of State will also be hitting the road for much of the summer. Here’s where you can catch them: