Great Good Fine Ok are an electronic duo, Jon Sandler and Luke Moellman from Brooklyn.
How did your interest in music begin? JON: At about nine years old I started taking guitar lessons and writing songs. Music was something I was naturally drawn to. I don’t remember ever deciding “hey, I like music and I want to write songs,” it was just something that I did without thinking, like a reflex. As I got a little older and realized how recording, performing and singing made me feel, I knew it was all I wanted to do.
LUKE: When I was six or seven my parents got me a small Casio keyboard (which I still have!) and I would mess around on it for hours. My mom is a flute teacher and there was always music around the house. My first piano teacher had her students spend 15 minutes at every lesson on a little recording setup with a tape recorder and a keyboard, and that’s probably where my obsession with recording started.
Do you get fan mail? What’s been the most exciting thing you have received from a fan? JON: We haven’t received any tradition mail from fans because we don’t have a Backstreet Boys style PO box set up (I wish we did), but we do get extremely nice emails and messages on our social media pages. We love when people take the time to tell us how they feel. Definitely the most exciting thing that we’ve received was from a fan who came to our show in Toronto. This amazing dude traveled all the way from Japan to deliver us a one of a kind CLEAR 12-inch vinyl of our EP that he made himself.
If you hadn’t become a musician, what do you think you’d be doing? LUKE: Probably something creative with my hands. Photography, graphic design, carpentry?
JON: I went to college for film and TV and worked in that industry for a few years. I would most likely be writing and/or directing something.
What is your snack/beverage of choice when recording? JON: I love iced tea. I drink a lot of it all of time, especially when I record. A lot of water too. As far as snacks go, things like various nuts and granola bars are usually the choice.
LUKE: Coffee, almonds, bananas, and greek yogurt.
What do you do when you’re not working on music? JON: I like to be outside and walk around or do some sort of physical activity. I also really love TV. Sitting with a good drink and some chips and watching a good TV show is one of my favorite things.
LUKE: I’m pretty much working on music all the time. But I enjoy traveling, photography, and hiking when I get the chance to.
What kinds of music/what musicians are influencing your work right now? LUKE: Lately I’ve been checking out a bunch of 90’s Eurodance. Producers like Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Nile Rodgers, and Daft Punk are all pretty influential on what I do.
JON: Right now and always I am influenced by the great songwriters, and charismatic performers. MJ, Freddie, Whitney, Elton, Prince to name a few.
What are you really excited about right now? JON: I am really excited about finishing and releasing more GGFO! We spent the whole month of July working on new material that I think is our best stuff yet. I am also super excited about touring more and potentially playing festivals this summer.
LUKE: Borrowing my friend Chris’s synths for a couple weeks while he’s out on tour!
What are you listening to right now? JON: Bjork
LUKE: Jessie Ware’s new album
What are you currently watching on Netflix/what’s on your Netflix queue? LUKE: I really don’t watch very many movies. I just saw “There Will Be Blood” for the first time (with a live orchestra featuring Johnny Greenwood playing the soundtrack) and it was awesome.
JON: Sopranos for the 6th time.
What was the last show you went to that stuck out to you? LUKE: Vulfpeck!
JON: Tove Lo at Webster Hall in NYC. She’s awesome.