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Au Revoir Simone

Sad Songs in the hands of keyboards and drum machines.
By: Gian Erguiza - - March 4th, 2008 - 7:49 pm PST



These ladies know how to work the keys. Armed with three keyboards and drum machines, Au Revoir Simone is ready to take on the world with their 'triple keyboard action' sound. Ms. Erika Spring was kind enough to take some time out to answer some of our curious questions.

Hey guys, can you guys do me a favor and give our readers a quick history lesson on how the band came about and how three keyboards got together to make this beautiful music?

Well, it was autumn of 2003. Annie and I had the idea of starting an all keyboard band. we were both really excited about playing music and wanted an excuse to hang out together as well as a bit of discipline for playing music, et voila: band practice at my house! I told heather about the band and she wanted to check it out. She fit right in and pretty soon we had a proper practice space and we were writing our own song and playing shows at bars and house parties.

So you guys are going back to the lab in 2008 and are to begin work on a new offering, hopefully as ethereal and enchanting as "The Bird of Music." Which direction are you guys headed and what can we expect from it?

So far, we really just have snippets of ideas...so I can't really describe the sound yet. It is really fun getting back to writing together & I think our next album will certainly still sound like us but we are experimenting and bringing in a few new instruments and trying to challenge ourselves a bit more.

What's the writing process like for you guys, lyrics and songs, and do you guys ever have to deal with writer's block?

I often think of song ideas on tour, so this past year has been great for me. we have seen so many new places and had lots of restless sleep which is when the best ideas arise. And even when one of us has the initial idea for a song, our process is very collaborative and we take a lot of time to work out structure and lyrics and how all 3 of our parts will fit together so it does require a lot of hours in the practice space. So its not so much writers block, but getting back into the writing mode after being on tour for so long. we really have to claim our time right now and treat it like the precious commodity that it is.

2007 was an incredible year for you guys and you all definitely deserve it! Was there a certain highlight that you guys can remember that made all of the hard work worth all the while after all this time?

I loved going to all the summer festivals. We performed in the deep woods in Sweden, lovely rural festival sites in the UK, outside of Paris in chateaux country, downtown Berlin, treasure island in San Francisco, etc etc and we got to share the stage with many bands that we love and admire. We really experienced the essence of summertime.

Your songs make me want to dance like a silly little boy with a new toy and I Iove it! Has the formula for success always been the same for Au Revoir Simone?

Cute! I would say the formula for us has been making ourselves happy. And that is sometimes making songs that make us laugh hysterically because we find them

"To know that people care about us enough to buy advance tickets, sing along to our songs, write myspace comments and notes, and in some cases draw pictures for us or bring us presents is so touching and makes being in a band such a rewarding job."

to be the perfect combination of awesome and ridiculous. And we like other songs because they are dramatic or moody and somehow satisfy other emotions as well.

Speaking of dancing, have you guys ever thought about some awesome dance moves to go along with the songs? Hey, it's just a thought, I tried....

Enthusiastic tambourining is pretty much the most I dance on stage, but we can definitely all hold our own on a dance floor if the music is good. There are some great youtube videos of fans doing dance routines to our songs which we love!



What is the biggest misconception about Au Revoir Simone?

That we are sisters.

At the top of my head, there is no over abundance of three women playing three keyboards and drum machines. Does it ever seem like it's a disadvantage or more of an advantage since people don't really have much to compare you guys to?

I think in any creative field, being different and standing out from the crowd is always an advantage.

Radiohead just made a huge statement about letting their fans price their record as to what they think it's worth without any label backing. How do you guys feel about this subject and do you guys think that this is going to be a trend or is this something that bands will probably follow suite on?

I have no idea...it's a nice gesture of radiohead. People who can't afford to buy music can always find a way to get it for free, and I think that is great. most people I know who really love a band don't have a problem paying for their music so I don't really worry about it.

Bands are always haunted by bad nights. Hell, it happens to every band big or small. How do you guys deal with bad nights and what do you guys consider to be a bad night?

A bad night is sometimes a result of technical problems, being tired or sick, not all feeling connected and on the same wavelength as each other or the audience...in any of these cases we just try to do our best and trust there will be another great show somewhere on the horizon.

You guys obviously have different lives and different tastes. What do you do to relax and pass the time?

I enjoy riding my bike, yoga, having friends over for kitchen dance parties or karaoke, watching youtube videos of david bowie, seeing live music

Au Revoir Simone loves _______________________________.

ABBA and indian food (together or separate)

What's changed from the days when you guys were virtually nobody's to now sharing the stage with known acts such as Air, The Flaming Lips, and Modest Mouse?

We quit our day jobs and we spend a lot less time in brooklyn.

This one is for your fans. How much do you guys owe to your fans and have you guys had any weird fan moment you'd like to share?

Fans on tour are like nourishment...there are so many sweet and amazing people who we have gotten to meet and hang out with on tour. they keep us going and help us feel excited about returning to a city or working on our next set of songs. To know that people care about us enough to buy advance tickets, sing along to our songs, write myspace comments and notes, and in some cases draw pictures for us or bring us presents is so touching and makes being in a band such a rewarding job

Any additional comments or shout-outs?

Thank you Gian!

Thanks Erika!



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Au Revoir Simone - "Sad Song"

Au Revoir Simone - "Fallen Snow"

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