Band of the Week: Augie March

Hometown: Shepparton, Victoria, Australia
Fun Fact: While touring in the U.S. with Gomez a few years back, Augie March once joined its tour mates for a post-show drink on their bus. The vehicle, which used to belong to a teenage Christina Aguilera, came complete with a phallus-shaped mirror adorning the ceiling.
Why It's Worth Watching: The enduring quality of frontman Glenn Richards’ songwriting earned the band two Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) awards, a gig opening for Crowded House and a record deal with Jive/Zomba in the U.S.
For Fans Of: Will Oldham, Belle & Sebastian and Jeff Buckley

When assessing music these days, the art and beauty of songwriting is often overlooked in favor of what’s immediate or accessible, be it a hip image, politically fueled calls to action, or simply just the employment of a synthesizer and/or drum machine. What’s hot appeals to the senses now, has relevance in the present, and, in most cases, fades from the collective consciousness quicker than you can say “flavor of the moment.”

This instant musical gratification on display from many artists is not something Augie March singer/songwriter and guitarist Glenn Richards buys into. “I think there are ways of trying to make your music a little more durable, if not timeless,” says the 33-year-old Aussie. “One of those is to not comment directly on current affairs or pop culture as such. That tends to poison a song.”

Poetics, not poison, pulsates through the veins of Augie March’s music. Taking its name from a Saul Bellow novel, the band creates dreamy folk pop that’s as striking in its imagery as it is in its staying power. The group’s latest album, Moo, You Bloody Choir, is a collection of songs worth revisiting, each track exhibiting a classic sound that seemingly never goes out of style.

Richards and fellow Shepparton, Australia, natives Adam Donovan (guitar) and David E. Williams (drums) along with Edmond Ammendola (bass) formed Augie March in 1996 while attending college in Melbourne. Keyboardist Rob Dawson later joined after BMG Australia signed the band for its first full-length, 2000’s Sunset Studies. Tragically, Dawson was killed in a 2001 automobile accident, and the band took time off to regroup before returning in 2002 with new keyboardist Kiernan Box for Strange Bird.

Although a merger between Sony and BMG put the release of Moo on temporary hold, it came out down under in March 2006 to commercial success and critical acclaim. The album has gone platinum in Australia and brought home two APRA awards including Song of the Year for single “One Crowded Hour.” Richards also received Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year honors.

The award winner feels the recognition helped earn him respect among the songwriting community. “The [awards] are fantastic because you know every registered songwriter in Australia has voted for you,” he says.

The folks at Jive/Zomba also took note of Richards’ gift, and they picked up Moo for release in the States. Adding to this good fortune, the band landed an October supporting slot alongside fellow Aussies Crowded House - an opportunity of a lifetime for a young band. "[It is] one of those very special things," Richards says. "We’ll be playing arenas [in Australia] that we haven’t gotten close to. It’s an invaluable experience.”