Erika Forster is a Boulder-born-and-raised musical, artistic bad a$$ who currently plays in Brooklyn trio Au Revoir Simone. Three gals +three keyboards + vintage drum machines = enchanting electric ladyland.

Au Revoir Simone performed with Devotchka at an etown live radio show taping March 20 at the Boulder Theater. Read up on how etown is all in the family for the Forsters.

I recently had the chance to ask Erika everything I've ever wanted to know, and didn't have the heart or desire to cut any of it. Enjoy reading about growing up in Boulder, living in Brooklyn and, well, all things Au Revoir Simone. Enjoy!

So you were born and raised in Boulder? Tell me some of your fondest memories growing up.

EF: ... playing dress up and putting on plays with my sisters, soccer practice at North Boulder Park, dance classes at the rec center, riding bikes on the Boulder Creek path, the Farmers Market, going to Moe's and Vic's, my friends and I painting peace signs on our faces to hang out on Pearl Street or holding séances on the lawn of Mapleton Elementary; night hikes and camping parties above Gold Hill; flying kites at Chautauqua.

What schools did you attend?

EF: Majestic Heights and Foothill elementary schools, Casey Middle School and Boulder High School (graduated 10 years ago this year)

College? Major?

EF: I went to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. I chose to do a self-determined major and designed my own program which focused on art/design and writing.

When did you realize you wanted to get involved with music?

EF: I have been obsessed with music since I discovered The Beatles. Maybe before that. But that's what I remember. I was pretty shy, but I took piano lessons when I was little -- along with my sisters -- from Vi Hartling. Then I took it up again in high school and took lessons from Toby Tennenbaum who lived near my dad's house on Spruce Street. He was really inspiring and taught me all kinds of sonatinas and the Titanic soundtrack and also Enya songs -- which he told me to play when I was stressed out from school.

Then I went to art school. I was in two bands during college. Both were extremely short-lived. The first was put together for a fundraising event for the Polo team and my friend jokingly named the band The Erika Forster Review. That was totally embarrassing. We played one show and our guitar player bailed at the last minute and my dad was in town for a visit and ended up playing guitar with us. I was actually the bass player. The second was a project called Optical Journey Tape Recorder and our idea for that band was to join sound and image. We performed an extended instrumental version of Sweet Jane by the Velvet Underground and made video projections as a backdrop for the student fashion show.

When I graduated and moved to Brooklyn, a friend from Skidmore invited me to come to his band practice and maybe try singing or playing something, then I bought my first synth on ebay. I researched a lot of keyboards, but chose the Roland Juno 106 based on advice from a guy who worked at Rob's Music with my sister Liz. Playing in this band, called Dirty on Purpose, was so much fun and going to practice somehow seemed so much better for me than going out to bars every night like many New Yorkers.

What sealed the deal for your involvement in Au Revoir Simone?

EF: Well, Annie [Hart] and I came up with the idea for the band: an all keyboard collective, a girls keyboard club. It started as a hobby, but little by little we were being asked to perform at bars and parties and then we had to come up with a name and had a practice space and made some demo recordings. It quickly took over our lives and (which we all happily accepted!) and then we had interest from UK and Japanese record labels and put out our first mini-album.

What steps led you to where you are now?

EF: Honestly, the whole thing has been such a natural evolution. We were not initially natural performers but we did have a really lovely connection with each other and we enjoyed writing songs. Our dusty practice space became a time warp in which we spent all of our free time.

Did your family have a large involvement in your decisions to get into the music industry?

EF: I would say that my parents: my mom, Robin Claire, who has been in Boulder since the late '70s and does some stuff on KGNU, my dad, Nick Forster, and my step-mom, Helen Forster, had a large involvement in encouraging me to be open and to follow wherever life leads and whatever opportunities come my way. And right now I'm doing music but it has not been a very direct path to being in a band. I have done so many different things and I'm really grateful that I didn't have any pressure from my parents except to have adventures and do my best.

What are your thoughts on etown? Will this be your first appearance on the live radio show taping?

EF: Yes, this will be Au Revoir Simone's first time on etown. I grew up going to all of the shows and really loved getting to meet the musicians and see a live concert nearly every week. It was pretty cool for us to go to the Boulder Theater. Everyone knew us, helped us find a seat and gave us popcorn and juice concoctions from the bar. Though it has sometimes been difficult to describe my dad's profession to people, it always -- since the beginning -- seemed like an amazing project that my dad and Helen were taking on. They were inspired to bring good music into the community and to combine it with a message about community and the Earth as a community and how we can all do things every day that make a positive impact. I think that, with etown, they have made a really positive impact.

What other surrounding influences contributed to your interest in music/drive to pursue a career in it?

EF: I have never wanted to work at a formal desk job, so the freelance lifestyle appeals to me. I enjoy traveling and meeting people, and I think music is a really pure way of communicating.

How often do you come back and visit Boulder?

EF: Two to three times per year.

Ever lived anywhere else (besides NYC)?

EF: I studied in London for a semester and lived in LA for a few months.

What are your favorite restaurants, bars, parks, etc. in Boulder?

EF: So many things have changed since I moved out of Boulder in 1998.

Things I like to do now:

- Walk on the Pearl Street Mall

- I love the Trident coffee shop and Bart's CD Cellar.

- I like that vintage clothing store at the end of Pearl Street - used to be called Eco 2000.

- Walking up Mt. Sanitas, riding on the bike path from Eben G. Fine Park to Scott Carpenter Parks (I know that is really wimpy for Boulder standards).

- Abo's pizza

What do you love and hate about living in Brooklyn?

EF: I love my sense of community. I always run into friends on the street and everyone is busy doing amazing projects so there is always something to do or something to get involved in. NYC has everything to offer so it seems that anything is possible. I hate that I never have enough time to do everything I want to do and see everyone I enjoy seeing.

What do you miss about Boulder?

EF: I miss my family mostly. I miss spending lots of time outdoors, the sunshine and having lots of healthy and/or eccentric people around.

What's the band up to currently?

EF: We are writing our next album right now. We're also taking some time out from touring -- which we did pretty steadily for a year and a half -- to be home and disappear into our practice space again.

What advice do you have to other women trying to make their way in the music world?

EF: I have really enjoyed playing music with other women. We find it really easy to communicate our ideas and we have a lot of fun together. I think the main thing is that you have to intensely believe in what you are doing and keep at it. Our band has been together for about 4 1/2 years and we feel like we are just getting started.

Siblings?

EF: Two sisters. Devon is younger and Liz is older. They are both really amazing musicians and singers.

Current musical addictions?

EF: Lavender Diamond, Electrelane, Panda Bear, Vashti Bunyan, Taken By Trees, Jose Gonzalez, New Pornographers; also discovering some artists from Mali, folk artist Jean Ritchie

Favorite place you've performed so far?

EF: In the woods in Sweden

Favorite band you've opened for so far?

EF: Peter Bjorn & John, AIR and We Are Scientists (three different tours ... just hard to decide)

Any horrifyingly embarrassing moments on stage so far?

EF: We have had a lot. We play with a drum machine so we have had times when our drum machine was lost by the airline or we forgot it or it was broken, etc. and that makes for a very different, interpretive kind of show. Also, once in Japan, we played in a place where the ceiling was so low (and I'm almost 6-feet tall) and I hit my head on a light fixture, which shattered to the ground.

Future goals?

EF: Filling our next album with beautiful songs and taking deeper breaths

Random hobbies?

EF: Textile design, photography, ayurvedic cooking

How do you three gals get along so well?

EF: We spend a lot of time together! And they are both really amazing, patient, supportive friends.

To read more on Au Revoir Simone, go towww.aurevoirsimone.com.

To read more on etown, go to www.etown.org.