Singer-songwriters Jon McLaughlin and Matt Wertz, known for their pop success, will come together onstage Thursday at the M-Shop.

“Matt was one of the first people that came to my mind,” McLaughlin said, referring to his fellow headliner Wertz at the moment when his manager threw out the idea of doing a co-headline tour.

Through mutual friends, the pair met when Wertz played a show at Anderson University where McLaughlin was attending. Sixteen years later, McLaughlin said the pair has been friends forever. Wertz and McLaughlin even live two blocks away from each other.

Combined, the two have more than 30 years experience of touring and playing shows.

“Having all that experience on stage definitely helps pace the show and throw banter back and forth between the two of us,” McLaughlin said. “We get a lot of comments from fans after shows and online that they really loves seeing us just chat between songs.”

McLaughlin said none of the stage banter is scripted.

“Halfway through that first show in San Diego it was like ‘oh this is gonna be great,’” McLaughlin said on how easy and fun it is performing with Wertz.

McLaughlin describes the experience as refreshing and imagines Wertz feels the same way.

“When you play solo you’ve got control of the whole room. You can pace the show however you want to pace the show,” McLaughlin said. “But in that same reason it’s so great to share the same stage as somebody because it’s not all on your shoulders. Even the way you interact with the crowd changes because it’s this triangular thing that’s happening.”

McLaughlin explained when he performs solo, he gets feedback from the crowd, but it doesn’t come in the form of “actual conversation” like it does while performing with Wertz.

McLaughlin is also known for writing music for television and film.

“There’s a freedom in that very focused, rigid writing,” McLaughlin said on writing music for television. “I don’t feel as connected to it as if I’m writing for an album.”

He explained the freedom comes from the contemplative and complicated that is making an album while writing music for a specific scene in a TV show doesn’t warrant the same thinking processes.

“I’m way more protective of something like an album,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin released his latest album “Angst & Grace” just last week.

American singer-songwriter Scott Mulvahill will open for McLaughlin and Wertz’s Thursday night show.

Doors for the show open at 7:30 p.m. with show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $18 for ISU students and $25 for the public with a $2 dollar increase the day of the show and can be purchased at the M-Shop box office or online via midwestix.com.