They're the ace band from Brooklyn who've been making their lilting dream pop for over 10 years now. They released their fourth album last year and, now, as the group get ready to come and play an NME Awards in the UK, we caught up with them to talk fish ’n’ chips and, er, Japanese porn.
The Debrief: You guys are just about to come over here for a gig – is England boozy and rubbish compared to Brooklyn?
Erika: 'I was a student in London for a while and it was the first big city I ever lived in so I've got a lot of nostalgia for it. And, as for the rest of the UK, it’s been a great perk of being in a band to get to travel to so many other places – the Lake District, Birmingham where my grandmother is from, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow where so many of our musical heroes are from. Plus, BBC radio is incredible & I actually like the weather!'
Heather: 'I love the UK! London feels like a second home to me, it's so much like New York.'
DB: Really? So you’ve not been turned off by any weird locals?
Heather: 'I'd love if someone showed me weird England.'
Erika: 'We went to an All Tomorrows Parties festival at a rural holiday camp and that was just the strangest. The locals actually set up lawn chairs just to watch us all walk around town in the morning before the everything kicked off. We flew kites on the beach and ate fish ’n’ chips and everyone was pale and hungover and wearing sweaters that were too small. I had a faux-fur coat that I wore pretty much every day.'
DB: And how about other places you’ve toured?
Heather: 'My favourite country is Japan. I had a recommendation from a friend to check out the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku, which didn't disappoint. I can't even really describe the epic weirdness of that show, but one part involved LED light-wrapped dancers riding giant stuffed spiders while pretending to slay robot monsters – yeah, just Google it.'
Annie: 'I have certainly seen some weird things, like self-showering vortex-looking metallic toilets on the highway in Switzerland. Also, there's weird porn on display all over the world. One time, Heather and I got un-tethered from our group in Fukuoka, in southJapan. We stumbled into a red-light district, with all these "typically" themed porn places, like French maid, anime, etc, but then we saw one that was a fake convenience store. It was a sexy-time deli! The fact there's a place in the world people can go to who have a convenience-store fetish is just SO WEIRD!'
DB: Do you guys get lonely on tour? What sort of things do you bring with you to make the road more bearable?
Erika: 'Listening to local NYC radio podcasts that I listen to at home has a really comforting effect on me. Also rosemary essential oil is a good protection oil that is grounding. I put a few drops on the top of my head every day.'
Heather: 'I love spending time by myself, so I don't get lonely on tour, plus I always have Annie and Erika to hang out with when I feel like having some fun. My iPad is loaded up with books and that's really the only thing I need to bring to amuse myself.'
Annie: 'I'm almost never lonely. I'm too busy to be lonely and we have wonderful friends in almost every city we go to. Every day is something to look forward too. Plus, Heather and Erika are always around!'
DB: What’s the first thing you do when you get home?
Erika: 'Not unpack, that usually takes me about a week... I guess sleep and make a huge salad.'
Heather: 'I have a 'sick' day as I like to call them. I spend all day in my pajamas, watching loads of bad TV and eating greens--something I never get enough of on tour. I also call my mum.'
Annie: 'I also take a week to unpack. I just hug and hug my son and also eat a big salad.'
**DB: So imagine we’re coming over to Brooklyn – where would you take us on a lady date? **
Erika: 'Dinner in Greenpoint at Alameda, a walk along the water to Wythe Hotel for a drink on the roof, then to Baby's All Right for a show and dancing.'
Heather: 'I'd take you to Pok Pok for some of the most mind-blowing spicy Thai food ever, then to the Scandinavian craft-beer bar Torst, which has 21 delicious options on tap.'
Annie: 'Get coffee from
(https://twitter.com/DeathbyAudio), Baby's All Right, or another one of the 50,000 venues here.'
DB: What other bands are getting you guys excited at the moment?
Erika: 'Blood Orange & Caroline Polachek's (from Chairlift) solo work'.
Annie: 'Both those are so true. Seeing Caroline solo was totally mind-blowing. I was so excited someone was making art like that! I also find the keyboard sounds on Yeezus to be really inspiring. Whoever recorded that is a genius. Each sound is so lush. I want it.'
Heather: 'I've been listening to Pond, Jacco Gardner, Still Corners, and Darkside to name a few.'
Au Revoir Simone are playing The Garage in London on Feb 20, buy tickets here, and get their album Move in Spectrums here.
Follow Jess Commons on Twitter @jess_commons
Photo: Press
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.