Some might say Great Good Fine Ok, comprised of Jon Sandler and Luke Moellman, took off overnight, but the duo have been grinding since 2013. Their debut “You’re The One For Me,” a gauzy, heart-thumping anthem that hit #1 on Hype Machine twice in one month, instantly established the group’s sound with Sandler’s dance-floor falsetto soaring over Moellman’s lush post-Space Age production. Have a listen to one of their latest releases “Touch” embedded below.

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SunCity Paradise: Kicking it off with Brooklyn, what really stands out and makes it special to you? Where would you send a first-time visitor to get a real sense of the borough.

Jon Sandler: I’ve lived in Brooklyn for about 14 years, and Luke almost as long. It’s where we met and where most of the GGFO songs were born. There is something special about it that’s hard to explain … ask Jay Z! I think the close proximity to Manhattan (but still far enough removed), and the amount of artists hustling in one place creates an inspiring environment. To get a sense of BK, you’d need to visit a bunch of different neighborhoods. It’s huge and dynamic. I would start in Prospect Park and Park Slope, then head down to DUMBO and the water front by the Brooklyn Bridge. Then Uber to Bushwick and Williamsburg. End the day by heading to Coney Island and looking at the Ocean for sunset.

© Adam Gong

SCP: What was your first, real exposure to music? How did you get inspired to create your own and eventually pursue it as a career?

JS: My parents both love music and played it a lot in our house when I was growing up. I started taking guitar lessons when I was about nine, and that’s when I discovered my love of songwriting. I performed in musicals and had a small band in high school. That’s when I knew it was more than a hobby. After college in Boston, I moved to [New York City] and started writing and performing as much as I could.

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SCP: To create music, and traveling to promote it, must be such a feeling. What’s the most impactful and meaningful part you cherish about it? Does the travel help inspirationally?

JS: Getting to travel around the world with your friends and do the thing you love is an absolute gift that we never take for granted. Getting to see and meet the people who make our music part of their lives, is wildly inspirational and very cool.

SCP: Your latest release was “Touch” in July. What was your thought process around it? How has it been received since you dropped it?

JS: “Touch” is about that phase in a relationship when all you want to do is touch the other person. You can’t get enough. At the same time, when you are apart, you find yourself obsessing and thinking way too much. You are both enamored and tortured. We played it for the first time on our last tour in May and people seemed to really love it. It quickly became one of the “dancy’er” ones in our set.

SCP: How does music and travel complement and go hand-in-hand with each other?

JS: In my opinion, you become a better artist (and human) by living life, pushing yourself mentally and physically, and experiencing new things. Traveling is the best way to make that happen.

© Travel Now or Cry Later

SCP: When searching for a personal getaway, are you looking for a serene beach or after a more active, adventurous getaway? Why?

JS: I love both. They each serve an important purpose. Sitting on the beach with a Mojito, hiking a mountain and exploring a new city are ALL my favorite things.

SCP: Everyone has a list of places that they still have to hit. What are three destinations, either work or pleasure, that you need to see? Why?

JS: Japan, I’ve been told that I would love the culture and be in heaven with all the Kimonos. And, I really like sushi. Hawaii, it looks like actual paradise. Yes, please. Spain, I’m really into the idea of siesta …

© J. de Gier

SCP: What is the most beautiful outdoor location that you’ve played at? How did the beauty add to the music?

JS: Thats a tough question because we’ve been lucky enough to perform in some really beautiful places. A couple months ago we played at a festival on Governors Island in NYC with an amazing full view of lower Manhattan. We played a festival outside at San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza. We also played The Capitol Hill Block Party in the heart of Seattle. So many others …

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SCP: When you’re relaxing on a beach or just have some downtime are you listening to dance music? Or do you like to switch up the tunes? If so, to what?

JS: It depends on my mood! My taste is very eclectic. I’ll go from Michael Jackson to Phish to Bastille to Elton John to Jay Z and everything in between.

© Gigi NYC

SCP: Lastly, what do the next few months have in store for you?

JS: We are working on new music, and will be releasing a new EP ASAP! Thank you!

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For more on Great Good Fine Ok, visit their website: