If you’re an Aussie music lover then you, like us, no doubt miss Augie March.

Well today brings some great news; the Shepparton born five-piece have announced they are reuniting – breaking their half-decade silence for the release of a brand new studio album.

An update to the band’s website contains a simple message stating “Hiatus over. Music made. More soon.” A press statement from Augie March’s publicity, Two Fish Out Of Water, this morning confirms the band “will be delivering their fifth studio LP towards the end of 2014;” their first since 2008’s Watch Me Disappear. 

It’s the same recording sessions that saw Augie March awarded a $20,000 Arts Grant in February last year by the Australia Council toward the writing and recording of a new studio album. “Hiatus over. Music made. More soon.”

It’s the first major activity from the band since announcing they would be going on indefinite hiatus in 2009 following their national ‘Watch Me Set My Strange Sun You Bloody Choir Australian Tour; a 20-date run of career-spanning setlists honouring the band’s four studio albums. Namely, near-Gold status selling debut Sunset Studies (2000), Strange Bird (2002), Watch Me Disappear, and 2006’s platinum-selling, AMP Award-winning Moo, You Bloody Choir. 

It’s the latter album’s lead single, ‘One Crowded Hour’, which the band – singer-songwriter Glenn Richards, guitarist Adam Donovan, drummer David Williams, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, and keyboardist Kiernan Box – are most widely recognised for, topping the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2006 with ‘One Crowded Hour’, which landed at #24 on last year’s Hottest 100 20th Anniversary poll).

A year after Augie March’s hiatus, Glenn Richards released his debut solo album Glimjack, in 2010, along with a band featuring Mike Noga, Dan Luscombe (of fellow revered Aussie band The Drones), Chris Richards, and Ben Bourke. The same year, Richards hit the road with his band to tour his solo release. 

The welcome news of the band’s return and the timing of a new album release for the tail-end of the year got us wondering. Call it wishful thinking, but wouldn’t it be great if Augie March’s comeback tied in nicely with an appearance at this year’s Meredith Music Festival? The band haven’t played the Supernatural Amphitheatre since 2006, their seventh appearance at the much-loved Victorian music festival.

We live in hope…

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