Au Revoir Simone is an American

indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...

band from

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. As of the 2020 United ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, formed in 2003. The group is composed of Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard/bass) and Heather D'Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard). The band's name comes from a line

Pee-wee Herman Pee-wee Herman is a comic fictional character created and portrayed by American comedian Paul Reubens. He is best known for his films and television series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that q ...

says to a minor character (named Simone) in

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...

's 1985 film '' Pee-wee's Big Adventure''. The group's musical inspirations were compared by the band's European label,

Moshi Moshi Records Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Ho ...

, to "a dutifully mined musical thrift store"; these diverse influences include

Modest Mouse Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members are lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. Strongly influence ...

Stereolab Stereolab are an Anglo- French avant-pop band formed in London in 1990. Led by the songwriting team of Tim Gane and Lætitia Sadier, the group's music combines influences from krautrock, lounge and 1960s pop music, often incorporating a repeti ...

the Mountain Goats The Mountain Goats are an American band formed in Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle, despite th ...

Louis Prima Louis Leo Prima (December 7, 1910 – August 24, 1978) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and trumpeter. While rooted in New Orleans jazz, swing music, and jump blues, Prima touched on various genres throughout his career: he forme ...

, Pavement,

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

Broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began wi ...

Belle & Sebastian Belle and Sebastian are a Scottish indie pop band formed in Glasgow in 1996. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the band has released eleven albums. They are often compared with acts such as The Smiths and Nick Drake. The name "Belle and Sebastian" comes ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Bee Gees The Bee Gees were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...

and

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...

History

Au Revoir Simone formed in late 2003 when Forster (formerly of

Dirty on Purpose Dirty on Purpose were an American band from Brooklyn, New York, whose music was often described as indie pop or shoegaze. History Formed in 2002, they were originally composed of Doug Marvin (drums, vocals), Joseph Jurewicz (guitar, vocals), Geo ...

) and Hart met on a train ride home to New York from

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...

and decided to form an all-keyboard band. They were soon joined at practices by D'Angelo and a fourth member, Sung Bin Park (keyboard/vocals). In December 2004, Park left the band. Their debut album, ''

Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation ''Verses of Comfort, Assurance & Salvation'' is the debut studio album of American indie pop band Au Revoir Simone. It was originally released on March 23, 2005, on the trio's own Our Secret Record Company label; it was subsequently issued in Eu ...

'', was released on March 23, 2005 on the band's own Our Secret Record Company label; it was subsequently issued in Europe on October 31 by

, and later by the Rallye Label in Japan. ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...

'' reviewer Brian Howe said that the album's "

synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...

is always simple, elegant, and ethereal". The band described the album as akin to "exploring a secret garden at night with a flashlight". In summer 2006, the trio toured the US, Canada and Europe with

We Are Scientists We Are Scientists is a New York City-based rock band that formed in Berkeley, California, in 1999. It consists primarily of guitarist and vocalist Keith Murray and bass guitarist Chris Cain, with drummer Keith Carne joining the band in the studi ...

. That August, they did a Take-Away Show video session shot by

Vincent Moon Vincent Moon (real name Mathieu Saura, born 25 August 1979) is an independent filmmaker, photographer, and sound artist from Paris. He was the main director of the Blogotheque's Take Away Shows, a web-based project recording field work music vid ...

. On March 5, 2007, they released their second album, '' The Bird of Music'', promoted by a US tour with

Peter Bjorn and John Peter Bjorn and John are a Swedish indie pop/ rock band formed in Stockholm in 1999, named after the first names of the band's members: Peter Morén (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Björn Yttling (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals) and John Erik ...

and Voxtrot from April through June. British ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' said of the album, “Eschewing the typical guitar-heavy band set-up for old-school synthesizers and vintage drum machines, u Revoir Simonecreate dreamy synth-pop. Their soft ethereal vocals laid over spare homemade drumbeats are reminiscent of

Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

and

". ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...

'' said, "Powered by vintage keyboards, a lockstep beat-box, and gorgeous, wide-eyed warbling, the Simones create make-out music for your inner android". On May 21, 2007, they played a concert at Fondation Cartier in Paris for

David Lynch David Keith Lynch (born January 20, 1946) is an American filmmaker, visual artist and actor. A recipient of an Academy Honorary Award in 2019, Lynch has received three Academy Award nominations for Best Director, and the César Award for Be ...

's retrospective exhibition. The stage they performed on was a recreation of the set from his film ''

Eraserhead ''Eraserhead'' is a 1977 American surrealist film, surrealist horror film written, directed, produced, and edited by David Lynch. Lynch also created its Eraserhead (soundtrack), score and sound design, which included pieces by a variety of oth ...

''. Au Revoir Simone played at both the

Treasure Island Music Festival Treasure Island Music Festival is an annual two-day music festival. Prior to 2018, the festival took place on Treasure Island, California, located in the San Francisco Bay. In 2018, the festival moved to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park, located in Oa ...

and

Monolith Festival The Monolith Festival was a music festival held at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. The first festival took place September 14–15, 2007 on 5 stages, including the Red Rocks main stage. The 2008 Monolith Festival was held on Septe ...

in September 2007. In October 2007, they contributed a T-shirt design to raise money for

Transportation Alternatives Transportation Alternatives (TransAlt, formerly T.A.) is a non-profit organization in New York City which works to change New York City's transportation priorities to encourage and increase non-polluting, quiet, city-friendly travel and decrease a ...

. In March 2008, the band appeared on '' eTown'', a

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Colora ...

-based radio program co-hosted by Nick Forster, father of band member Erika Forster. In November 2008, vocals by Au Revoir Simone were used in both the original and the

Aeroplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spec ...

remix of

Friendly Fires Friendly Fires are an English indie rock band from St Albans, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008, and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelv ...

track "

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

". Their third album, '' Still Night, Still Light'', was produced by

Thom Monahan Thom Monahan is an American producer/engineer and musician who is best known for his work with the bands Pernice Brothers, Fruit Bats and Vetiver. He has also produced albums by Devendra Banhart, Wild Nothing, Beachwood Sparks, and the Chri ...

and released on May 19, 2009. ''Pitchfork'' called it "feather-light

electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a r ...

that's not to be taken lightly". In July 2009, they performed at that year's

Lovebox Festival Lovebox is a three-day music festival. In 2018 the event moved to Gunnersbury Park, London. The move came after Tower Hamlets turned down its application to continue in Victoria Park and Lambeth residents objected to its move to Brockwell Park. ...

in Victoria Park,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. At the end of 2009, the group embarked on their own headlining tour of Japan. In 2010, they created one of the first interactive music videos for their song "Knight of Wands". In true coloring book style, the video allows viewers to become a part of the creative process. After a long hiatus, Au Revoir Simone reunited to release their fourth album, '' Move in Spectrums'' on September 24, 2013 on Richard Gottehrer's revived Instant Records label. AllMusic said it was "maybe their best record yet" and "certainly their most sophisticated and most arranged work". On June 23, 2015, they released the "Red Rabbit" digital single on Instant Records.

Other projects

In early 2015, Forster formed Summer Moon with Lewis Lazar, Tennessee Thomas (

the Like The Like was an alternative rock band from Los Angeles, California. Its final lineup consisted of Z Berg (vocals and guitar), Tennessee Thomas (drums), Laena Geronimo (bass), and Annie Monroe (organ). The band released three extended plays (EP ...

) and

Nikolai Fraiture Nikolai Philippe Fraiture (born November 13, 1978) is an American musician best known as the bassist of the American rock band The Strokes. Since co-founding the band in 1998, he has released six studio albums with them. Among other creative pro ...

(

the Strokes The Strokes are an American rock band from New York City. Formed in 1998, the band is composed of lead singer and songwriter Julian Casablancas, guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammond Jr., bassist Nikolai Fraiture, and drummer Fabrizio Mor ...

). In 2016, Forster and Thomas formed Nice as Fuck with

Jenny Lewis Jennifer Diane Lewis (born January 8, 1976) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She was the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist for the indie rock band Rilo Kiley. Lewis gained prominence in the 1980s as a child a ...

(from

Rilo Kiley Rilo Kiley ( ) was an American indie rock band based in Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1998, the band consisted of Jenny Lewis, Blake Sennett, Pierre de Reeder, and Dave Rock. The group released their debut album ''Take-Offs and Landings' ...

), and released their first album on June 24. In 2017, Hart released a solo album entitled ''Impossible Accomplice''.

In popular culture

"Sad Song" was used in the 2007 German blockbuster movie '' Rabbit Without Ears'' and later on the soundtrack of the 2011 movie ''

From Prada to Nada ''From Prada to Nada'' is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Angel Gracia, loosely based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel '' Sense and Sensibility''. The screenplay was adapted by Fina Torres, Luis Alfaro, and Craig Fernandez to be a L ...

''. Also in 2007, their song "Stay Golden" appeared in the French film '' Anna M.''. "The Lucky One" and "Don't See the Sorrow" were heard in the 2008 Japanese film ''Kimi no Tomodachi'' (English: ''Your Friends''). In 2009, "Another Likely Story" was used on the 100th episode ("What a Difference a Day Makes") of ''

Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series that premiered on March 27, 2005, on ABC as a mid-season replacement. The series focuses on the lives of surgical interns, residents, and attendings as they develop into s ...

''. "Stay Golden" and "Red Rabbit" were featured in HBO's 2012 Marilyn Monroe documentary ''

Love, Marilyn ''Love, Marilyn'' is a 2012 American documentary film about Marilyn Monroe's writings directed by Liz Garbus and produced by Stanley F. Buchthal, Garbus, and Amy Hobby. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September ...

'', while "Crazy" was used in the 2014 film '' Vampire Academy'' and its soundtrack. Au Revoir Simone was among the bands performing at the Roadhouse in the 2017 revival of David Lynch's ''

Twin Peaks ''Twin Peaks'' is an American mystery serial drama television series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It premiered on ABC on April 8, 1990, and originally ran for two seasons until its cancellation in 1991. The show returned in 2017 ...

''; they played "Lark" in the fourth episode and "A Violent Yet Flammable World" in the ninth, both from their 2007 album ''The Bird of Music''. In 2021, the band appeared on Storybound (podcast) with author Tamara Winfrey Harris.

Discography

Studio albums

*''

'' (2005, Our Secret Record Company North America,

Europe, Rallye Label Japan) *'' The Bird of Music'' (2007, Our Secret Record Company North America, Moshi Moshi Records Europe, Rallye Label Japan) *'' Still Night, Still Light'' (2009, Our Secret Record Company North America) *'' Move in Spectrums'' (2013, Instant Records North America, Moshi Moshi Records Europe)

Singles and EPs

*"Hurricanes" CD single (2005, Rallye Label Japan) *"Through the Backyards" 7" single (2006, Moshi Moshi Records UK) *"Fallen Snow" 7" single (2007, Moshi Moshi Records UK) *"Sad Song" 7" single (2007, Moshi Moshi Records UK) *"Summer Lines" 7" single (2008, Elefant Records Spain) *"Shadows" 7" single (2009, Moshi Moshi Records UK) *''Tour Remixes'' CD EP (2009, Rallye Label Japan) *"Shadows (The Teenagers Remix)" digital single (2009, RCRD LBL) *"Organized Scenery" digital single (2010, self-released) *"Tell Me" 7" single (2010, Keys of Life Finland) *"Crazy" 7" single (2013, Moshi Moshi Records UK) *"Somebody Who" digital single (2013, Moshi Moshi Records France) *"Red Rabbit" digital single (2015, Instant Records)

Remix albums

*''Reverse Migration'' (2008, Our Secret Record Company North America) *''Night Light'' (2010, Moshi Moshi Records Europe) *''Spectrums'' (2014, Moshi Moshi Records Europe)

Guest appearances

*Vocals on "Star Guitar" on ''

The One The ONE is a shopping centre in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is built on the site of the former Tung Ying Building at 100 Nathan Road. It was developed by Chinese Estates Holdings and opened in 2010. Owner Joseph Lau Luen-hung g ...

'' album by

Shinichi Osawa , also known by his stage name Mondo Grosso, is a Japanese musician, DJ, record producer and composer currently signed onto Avex Trax's Rhythm Zone label. Previously he was signed to Sony Music Japan's FEARLESS RECORDS division and released alb ...

(2007, RZN) *Vocals on "

" (

Remix) by

(2008,

XL Recordings XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group. Although only releasing an average of six albu ...

) *"Paganini Rocks" 12" EP by Robortom Featuring Au Revoir Simone (2010, Sunday Best Recordings) *"Who Am I Now" on the ''

Le voyage dans la lune ''A Trip to the Moon'' (french: Le Voyage dans la Lune) is a 1902 French adventure film, adventure short film directed by Georges Méliès. Inspired by a wide variety of sources, including Jules Verne's 1865 novel ''From the Earth to the Moon' ...

'' album by

(2012,

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...

) *"Rise Early Morning" digital single by

Nervo Nervo (stylised as NERVO) are an Australian DJ duo comprising twin sisters Olivia and Miriam Nervo (born 18 February 1982). After signing with Sony/ATV Music Publishing at 18 years of age, the sisters pursued careers as songwriting partners and ...

Featuring Au Revoir Simone (2014, Ultra Records) *Les Chansons de l'innocence by French singer Etienne Daho on the almost namesake album Les Chansons de l'innocence retrouvée (2014,

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

)

References

External links

Official website

Outdoor recording session with They Shoot Music Dont They (April 2009)
* '' L.A. Record'
interview (June 2009)
{{Authority control All-female bands Dream pop musical groups Electronic music groups from New York (state) Indie rock musical groups from New York (state) Musical groups from Brooklyn American women in electronic music Moshi Moshi Records artists