TWIS Asks: Ghost Beach

Feeling nostalgic for dance-inducing, '80s throwback synth-pop? Join the club. Driving synth lines, grooving bass lines and tropical sensibilities are back in a big way, and we're not complaining a bit.

Enter Ghost Beach. In addition to all the great local acts on the Harvey Milk Festival bill this year, we're happy to welcome New-York-based electronic pop duo to Sarasota. Comprised of Josh Ocean and Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn, the retro-future duo will play at 11:10 p.m. this Saturday, May 17, in Five Points Park.

We caught up with them while they were on the road, touring their new LP, Blonde, to pick their brains about their Google search history, eating at Chipotle and not being named after a Goosebumps book.

Why did the Harvey Milk Festival appeal to you?

(Josh) Harvey Milk was a great proponent of civil rights and marriage equality. We are happy to support a festival that honors him.

There's a Goosebumps book called Ghost Beach. You get to meet the author, R.L. Stine, and ask him one question. What is it?

(Josh) We never read Goosebumps as kids, and we actually didn't get our name from a the book. But I'd ask him what the "Ghost Beach" book is about.

Music piracy is ... 

(Josh) ...  not the problem. There are way better platforms to experience music over the internet these days, to the point that piracy is a hassle. We need to keep the internet free and open so companies like Spotify  can give people the music they want while respecting the artists' intellectual property.

How would you describe a typical interaction with a fan?

(Josh) I would say it varies from person to person. Every experience is unique. We try to include everyone at our shows to have fun with us while we play.

What's your earliest musical memory? When did you know you wanted to be a musician?

(Josh) When I saw sting play on SNL. There was just something about that moment that really stuck with me.

What's your spirit animal?

(Josh) A surfing camel.

What's the last thing you Googled on your phone?

(Josh) Bulbous nose ...

What two things can you not tour without?

(Josh) Tea and my Dutch hippie-robot necklace.

Before every performance,  I ...

(Eric) ... drink a beer, do 10 jumping jacks and make weird, high-pitched vocal noises.

What's been your craziest tour experience so far?

(Eric) Getting wild at SXSW 2014 with the crowd onstage during (our song)"Too Young,"all the while the bouncers were ready to kill us.

If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

(Eric) That would be a toss-up between "Songs From the Big Chair," by Tears for Fears, "Synchronicity," by the Police and "Revolver," by the Beatles.

My best ideas come to me ...

(Eric) ... when I'm driving.

If my music could score any film, it would be ...

(Eric) ... something by Baz Luhrmann. His use of colors would probably fit our sound the best.

The biggest surprise about my profession has been ...

(Eric) ... how fast the time goes by when you're traveling and touring. The entire first half of this year seemed like the blink of an eye.

My go-to on-the-road food is ...

(Eric) Definitely Whole Foods or Chipotle.

What's the latest band you've discovered that caught your attention?

(Eric) That would probably be the Preatures or Ramona Lisa.