What does it take to "make it" in the American music industry? In an age transient enough that an artist's fate can be decided by an infamously critical celebrity blogger (singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson made it to the iTunes Top Ten a mere 24 hours after being endorsed on Perez Hilton's blog), does hard work count anymore? In an age where pop lyrics are so simple and meaningless ("It's Britney, b*tch"), can real poetry still speak to us?
For any musician trying to break into the business, the answer is, undoubtedly, "yes." Hard work and powerful lyrics are certainly things rock band Augie March does not shy away from. A band that has already found huge success in their native Australia, Augie March is currently touring the United States promoting their latest album and trying to connect with American audiences.
Led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Glenn Richards, the group formed in Melbourne, Victoria in 1996. By 1999, they had signed a record deal and released two EPs. Well on their way to stardom, they suffered a tragic setback in 2001 after keyboardist Rob Dawson was killed in a car accident. With the addition of new keyboardist Kiernan Box, the band released their second album Strange Bird in 2002. (It was released in the U.S. on the Spin Art label in 2004.)
The band's name came from The Adventures of Augie March because of similarities in the poetic writing style of its author, Saul Bellows, and Augie March's Richards. On the band's official Web site, Richards cites traditional ideals of writing as one of his motivations.
"Poems used to be called songs," Richard states on the Web site. "I'm very keen on the idea of bringing that full circle. I love the way words can move together and I guess I find music a natural vehicle for that."
Though difficult to decipher at times, the lyrics provide a perfect match for Richard's deep, soulful music. Before presenting songs to his bandmates, Richards creates demos, either of his voice and acoustic guitar or a full-out recording where he plays all instruments. The band then collaborates and tweaks the song.
The band found undisputed success with their latest album, Moo, You Bloody Choir, when it garnered six Australian Recording Industry Association nominations, and the first single released from the album, "One Crowded Hour," was voted the number-one song of 2006 by Australian radio station Triple J. Rereleased in the United States by Jive/Zomba, Moo has a new look and a slightly revamped sound.
"This album's musical ideas are more thought out; in the past we just threw the kitchen sink into the recording," drummer David Williams said, speaking from a crammed van driven by Augie March's tour manager, a far cry from what they are more accustomed to.
There is no complaining from the band, however, they're simply figuring out the new "Yank" crowds.
"It's pretty much like starting again, but we have been playing together for 10 years. There's no grand plan to capture the new audiences ... We'll just be playing shows every night," Williams said.
Augie March will play a late-night show at Gravity Lounge on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall Saturday. The free show will kick off 106-1 The Corner's "Say you saw them when..." concert series, which happens to coincide exactly with the station's one-year anniversary. The Corner hopes to continue these "low-dough shows" and eventually evolve the series into a monthly event.
With Augie March the radio station found an ideal group to open its new series. The radio station immediately liked the band's EPs and booked them through their label and touring company, High Road Touring.
"They were looking for markets to grow a fan base," 106-1 The Corner disc jockey Brad Savage said of Augie March.
Though later this year, it will be back to the large concert venues of Australia -- where they are supporting the Crowded House tour -- this month Augie March will simply try to lose the "almost" in the label "almost famous" as they tour the states.
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