[media-credit name=’Bryan Sheffield’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]

They’re the latest beach-punk sensation; they’re musical ghost busters; they’re Fake Problems, and they’re coming to town. This Sunday the Exclusive Co. on State Street will feature Fake Problems for a free in-store performance and signing before they open for the Gaslight Anthem later that evening at the Majestic.

Touring with The Gaslight Anthem may seem like d?j? vu for Fake Problems.

“We’ve been friends with The Gaslight Anthem for about four years now. We actually took them on their first tour,” lead vocalist Chris Farren said in a recent interview with The Badger Herald. “It’s just great to be around them again and trade old stories about when we toured.”

Despite their breakout success, Farren still recognizes his old friends.

“The first day of this tour it was just like old times again. It’s so cool to see they’re still the same dudes after all the awesome stuff they’ve been through,” Farren said.

Fake Problems formed five years ago as a reaction to the placid music scene in Naples, Florida. The group has since toured with Anti-Flag, Murder By Death and Against Me.

The indie foursome from the sunshine state recently completed their third full-length album Real Ghosts Caught On Tape. The album abandons the string and horn sections used in previous work and nods to a variety of musical influences from Vampire Weekend to Elvis Costello to the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones.

“On this record we really stepped away […] and looked at what made sense for each song,” Farren said.

While still up-tempo and light, the new record represents a more mature musical dialogue with a strong focus on unity, tight instrumentals and situation-inspired lyrics.

“Each record we have is kind of its own theme. The first record was [a] folk, punk-country record. The second was this dark indie rock record, and now we made this more laid back […] indie, punk-pop record,” Farren said.

The more subdued sound drove the group to adjust their performance style.

“I think with our last record we were all over the place going completely crazy, but since this record is a little bit more reserved, we’re focused on playing the parts really well and […] just letting the songs speak for themselves,” Farren said. “We’re still rockin’ around up there, but it’s definitely a different experience then it has been.”

The cover art for their latest release features Farren jumping into the pool of the California house where Fake Problems recorded Real Ghosts Caught On Tape. Other photographs interspersed throughout the album provide personal insight into the group’s recording process. The album’s title speaks to a feeling of disappointment that the group deconstructs in 11 tracks.

“Anytime you see something called “Real Ghosts Caught On Tape” you’re obviously not going to see a ghost, because ghosts don’t exist,” Farren said.

Farren’s staunch doubt in Casper hasn’t put a damper on the ghost hunting expeditions the group undertakes while on tour, though so far their quests have proved soulless.

“A lot of the venues are theater-y type venues, really old,” Farren said. “Everyone has some sort of story about how something’s haunted, and so we go on these little adventures looking for ghosts.”

When they aren’t ghost-busting their way across the country, the group has been reaching out to fans through their music.

“We have a lot of fans who have Fake Problems tattoos. When you see stuff like that, anytime you have any doubt about what you’re doing it’s like, ‘Wow. We mean a lot to some people.’ It’s refreshing and encouraging, very encouraging,” Farren said.

Like all musicians, Fake Problems lives for the lights and buzz of the big stage but also appreciates a more personal concert atmosphere, like their upcoming performance at the Exclusive Co.

“It’s an intimate experience that you get to share with people [who] really like your band,” Farren said. “When we’re done playing we can meet everyone and hang out for 15, 20 minutes.”

Whether you stop by the Exclusive Co. this Sunday at 4 p.m. to hear tunes from the latest in the beach punk genre or just want to exchange ghost-hunting stories, Fake Problems won’t disappoint.