Annie from Au Revoir Simone talks to me about things close to her heart!

Girl group Au Revoir Simone are Erika Forster, Annie Hart & Heather D'Angelo.

They released the critically acclaimed 'Still Night, Still Light' on Moshi Moshi last year.

The band are touring all over Europe this Summer and are even playing with Air this June in Paris, not supporting but actually playing with Air themselves. All 5 musicians will be doing a combination of songs by Au Revoir Simone and Air. This is part of three other shows Air are doing in Paris (the others been with Jarvis Cocker, a full orchestra and the artist Yi Shou).

I met up with the very cool Annie from the band to talk about things close to her heart, music, clothes, shoes and even a fanzine on smart packing!

The band will be releasing a remix album on Moshi Moshi Records entitled 'Night Light' out on July 5th wtih remixes from Aeroplane, Your Twenties, Neon Indian and Deradoorian (Angel Deradoorian from The Dirty Projectors).

I heard you have a new album coming out made up entirely of remixes from your album Still Night, Still Light. How did the idea come about? How did you choose people to do the remixes?

Annie: We did a remix album for The Bird Of Music with lots of remixes and covers done by our friends, so it was natural to do another remix version of Still Night, Still Light. We asked some of our friends again to help out, and a lot came through our UK label, Moshi Moshi. The worst part about listening to the album is that sometimes I wish we had done some of the cool things on our real record that the remixers did!

You have toured all over the world in the last year or so. Where's the best place you've been this year?

Annie: I can't judge places one over the other. There's some that I won't name that I just hate, but we don't really get offers to go those places, anyway, so the best thing I can tell you is that we've been to Mexico City, Seoul, and Singapore for the first time recently, and they were all amazing in different ways. We just spent the last week in Spain and Portugal, which was great as usual, and now we're relaxing in our rented Paris apartment, all of which are amazing and eye-opening in their own ways.

On tour are you all light packers? What's the strangest thing in your closet?

I think I'm the lightest packer of the three. I take it very seriously. But then I somehow end up with one more pair of shoes along than I really need and I get mad at myself. I'm even working on a book about packing light, with diagrams and strict instructions. I'm planning on printing it zine-style, folded with staples. I was very inspired by a trip to a bookstore in Tokyo. My feet were so swollen and I couldn't walk, so I just spent two hours "reading" books in Japanese in the how-to section. If you are a nerd, I wholeheartedly recommend that activity. As for strange things in my closet, I usually travel with salt and pepper for meals made from leftovers from the backstage.

Onstage are you heels or flats girls?

Annie: Either, because I can't decide, and that' how I end up with extra shoes on tour.

Do you remember the first tv show/movie/band that impacted your style and identity?

Annie: Minor Threat, in that it supported my already firm decision to hate labels, status symbols, and "trying" to be anything other than someone who is true to themselves and looks out for the welfare of other people and the earth.

When you're not touring whats your ideal night out / in?

Annie: I recently spent a week at home watching 4 episodes of 30 Rock at a time at home on my couch, knitting and eating ice cream. That's how cool I am.

If you could have anyone in the world, past or present, at your dinner table - who would it be?

Annie: Here's a crazy dinner party:

Bell hooks

Mao Zedong

Mick Jagger

Abraham Lincoln

Paris Hilton

Jaques Cousteau

I wonder who would talk to whom? What on earth would they even talk about?

Are you involved in any charities?

I just donated some art to raise money for the Brooklyn Public Library, ardently support New York City's public radio station, and help out with Transportation Alternatives. I guess I am a very local activist!