Words by: Mikel Corrente
Tomorrow, November 15th, marks the end of an era for Los Angeles indie pop duo Mating Ritual. After almost a decade of making music and amassing millions of streams under the moniker, brothers Ryan Marshall Lawhon and Taylor Lawhon (Suede James) will perform their last show at The Lodge Room in Highland Park. The event is aptly titled âMating Ritual: The Final Tour â Last Show Ever.â
I recently had the chance to sit down with Ryan and Taylor in Downtown LA, sharing a drink as they prepared to head out on their final tour run. It was a bittersweet reunion, filled with nostalgia and candid conversation. We reminisced about countless shows, karaoke nights, and parties that connected us through the years.
The conversation meandered through typical late-night topics: everything from our interest in enneagram personality types (with Ryan being an 8, Taylor a 4, and yours truly a 3) to the trials and excitements of modern dating, and how our journeys had shifted in the years since we last saw each other as often as we used to. But the core of our discussion centered on the âwhyâ behind their decision to conclude this chapter.
While the details of their next steps remain under wraps, the brothers shared that the decision stems from the changing landscape of the music industry. I wanted to honor them by going deeper into their career with this short but heartwarming article.
Iâm gonna skip the Pacific Air chapter and go straight to the birth of Mating Ritual. Their debut album, How You Gonna Stop It?, arrived in 2017 and laid the groundwork for their self-styled âfive albums in five yearsâ challenge, a creative marathon that would come to define the next half-decade of their lives. Right out of the gate, they captured attention with tracks like âI Wear Glassesâ and âCold,â two polar opposites that shared the restless, synth-driven energy that would become their signature.
True to their word, just a year later they returned with Light Myself on Fire (2018), pushing deeper into rhythmic experimentation and emotional candor, with. Around that time, I was already a fan. If memory serves, I first met them at The Bootleg Theatre, a fittingly gritty birthplace for so many LA stories. Something wasnât quite clicking with their team then, and when they decided to switch directions, we ended up working together on Hot Content (2019).
That record remains one of my favorites. Every song carries its own flavor, from frenetic grooves to introspective slow-burners. The closer, âGame,â is still unforgettable: its video features a medieval-clad Taylor roaming the streets of Los Angeles, sword and all. If you know Taylor, you know this makes perfect sense. Heâs a devoted collector of medieval artifacts and a skilled archer. Donât quote me on it, though, Iâve yet to see him actually let an arrow fly. Maybe thatâs one for our next meeting.
By the time The Bungalow (2020) arrived, the fourth chapter of their creative sprint, their sound had matured into something warm and cinematic. I still remember listening to the mixes in their home studio, feeling the excitement in the room. The album ranges from playful, upbeat moments like âThe Bungalow,â to tender ballads like âUnusual,â and even lush, 80s-inspired textures on âKing of the Doves.â
By 2021, they had completed their ambitious cycle with Songs for the Morning and Evening Times, a sprawling, retro-futurist statement that cemented their evolution from a bedroom project into one of LAâs most prolific indie acts. Across these years, Mating Ritual quietly amassed tens of millions of streams, solidifying their cult-favorite status through consistent self-production, direct fan engagement, and hook-heavy songwriting that felt both nostalgic and new.
After a four-year break from releasing music, they returned with Shangri-blah (2025), a record that feels quintessentially Mating Ritual but with a twist of country on songs like âLower East Side.â For me, the track that grabs me every time is âObviously,â the same one that hit me hardest at the album release show. Listen to the record in full, you wonât regret it.
That brings us to this week. The final show on the horizon tomorrow, November 15th, promises to be an emotional and celebratory send-off, a chance for fans and friends to experience the music one last time. As they embark on their separate paths, this isnât just a final performance. Itâs a fitting last hurrah for a band that has made an indelible mark on the indie music landscape.