page_title: Augie March
section_title: Mainstream breakthrough (2004–2009)
hierarchical_section_title: Augie March / History / Mainstream breakthrough (2004–2009)
caption_attribution_description: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival #7, October 5th, 2007
context_page_description: Augie March are an Australian indie rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box. Box replaced Rob Dawson, the band's initial piano player, who died in 2001.
  Augie March's rise to fame was slow; their first two EPs failed to make an impact on the market, despite Waltz being nominated for two ARIA Awards. Their first album, Sunset Studies, was released in 2000. Despite poor sales, it was critically acclaimed and received an ARIA Award nomination. Critics in both Australia and the United States also lauded its 2002 successor, Strange Bird, but it sold and charted poorly in both countries. Augie March's third album, Moo, You Bloody Choir, received a much better reception in terms of sales; its lead single "One Crowded Hour" attained critical acclaim and appeared on the ARIA Charts at number 29, while the album was nominated for numerous ARIA Awards and won an Australian Music Prize.
context_section_description: Augie March returned to the studio in 2004 to record a follow-up to Strange Bird. The band worked with two producers, Paul McKercher and Eric Drew Feldman, and recorded in Melbourne, San Francisco, and their own studio in Nagambie, Victoria. Donovan said it was more suited to the band's style; as they co-produced on all their albums, they took a great deal of interest in production. He said it also enabled them to work at their own pace, hence the four-year gap between releases. They released a DVD, Drones & Vapid Ditties, containing live performances and music videos, in mid-2004. The band's upcoming album, according to Triple J, was inspired by the streets of Melbourne. Upon completion of the initial recording sessions of Moo, You Bloody Choir, there was a six-month delay before release, as Augie March meticulously added finishing touches to it. In March 2006, the album was finally released.
  Moo, You Bloody Choir saw the band move from receiving only critical acclaim to achieving mainstream success as well. The album spent 21 weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart, peaking at number ten, while lead single "One Crowded Hour" reached number 29 in its 20-week ARIA Singles Chart stint. The album was certified platinum in Australia. Work by Augie March was nominated for six ARIA Awards in 2006, including "One Crowded Hour" for "Single of the Year". Despite the hype, the band did not win any further ARIAs. Augie March were still more successful underground than in the mainstream; "One Crowded Hour" topped Triple J Hottest 100, 2006. The album's popularity also saw it nominated for the 2006 J Award. A 2008 The Australian poll ranked "One Crowded Hour" the tenth best Australian song of the past 20 years.
  Augie March's musical abilities were recognised when they became the winner of the second annual Australian Music Prize in 2006 for "the most outstanding and creative Australian album released in the past year". Ammendola told Drum Media winning the award was more significant than an ARIA Award, as "it's an award that's nominated on the grounds of music, and the art of it - not necessarily record sales". The band used the A$25,000 prize money to help fund a US tour. Richards later said that the band had no great expectations of breakthrough through in the US, and that if their second attempt was not successful, they would not try again.
  In August 2007, Moo, You Bloody Choir was released in the United States on the Jive Zomba record label. In the lead-up to its release, Augie March toured regularly, playing in Los Angeles and New York in May. The shows continued following the album's release, as Augie March were praised by US media. Pitchfork Media called it a "crime" that the band had not broken through in North America earlier, though Allmusic remarked that Strange Bird was a higher quality album than its follow-up.
  Despite the success of Moo, You Bloody Choir, much of Augie March's post-album touring involved supporting other bands. They played shows supporting The Aliens and Andrew Bird in the United States, before returning to Australia to open for Crowded House. Richards said the band's status as an opening act, rather than headlining their own shows, was something they saw as a challenge—their intention was to win over fans who came to see the main act. However, he called the tour with The Aliens depressing; the bands played very different types of music, and the attendance at shows was small. Augie March later earned a prime slot at the 2008 Big Day Out.
  The success of Moo, You Bloody Choir saw Richards expected by record label Sony BMG to produce a quality follow-up. He denied being under significant pressure, though the persistence of the label—"Richo, have you got a single? Do you have singles? Please, do you have singles?"—was noted. Much of the writing for Augie March's fourth album took place while touring the United States, which Richards argued minimised the band's opportunities to be creative. In 2008, Augie March began recording Watch Me Disappear at Neil Finn's Auckland studios; they also recorded in Melbourne, Sydne
caption: Augie March on stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in October 2007
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