If there's one band that deserve a tour celebrating their entire oeuvre then it's Melbourne band Augie March. Consisting of Glenn Richards (gutair/vox), Adam Donovan (guitar), Dave Williams (drums), Edmondo Ammendola (bass) and Kiernan Box (keys), the once four now five-piece have traversed the highs and lows of the industry over their decade plus of obtuse music making; from critical befuddlement, live meltdowns and personal tragedy, to a devoted, feverish fanbase, widespread acknowledgement via Hottest 100 chart-topping and a cabal of awards and accolades for their dense, literary music.

On the eve of a 20-date tour around the nation that will see the band look back on their rich catalogue before going on a hiatus of sorts, we speak with a frank Edmondo Ammendola, bassist for the band, about their upcoming "last" tour for a while, band dynamics and what the future holds. (Main pic: Daniel Mahon)

Hey Ed.

How's it goin?

Good, how are you?

Oh I'm just getting over the bird, dog flu thing, whatever the hell it was.

Oh really, you've got one?

I've got some kind of - I dunno - it's knocked me for a real six this one. But getting better, y'know.

Is it going to get in the way of rehearsing?

Well it has yesterday I just couldn't do it, I was throwing up and stuff. *Cough* I'm sure it will be fine today.

What's the feeling in the band at the moment?

Oh look it's...you know, what I just expected that it would be an absolute shemozzle trying to run these old tunes. But they're all sounding really good straight off the bat. Which is bizarre. It seems as though the earlier songs are a lot easier to play even though they're more harmonically interesting and y'know, involved. They just seemed to come together a lot quicker - I mean we still have trouble with the new ones. So there's a bit of a strange irony I suppose. But yeah it's good, it's going well. Glenn's just having a bit of trouble with the chords and things, and a few songs. And 'The Mothball', [fan favourite from the bands second EP Waltz] it's deceptively simple but really it's not simple at all. But it's going well!

Is it perhaps because there's a sense that this could be the last thing you do for a while?

Yeah I think so. But you know, a song like 'Asleep in Perfection' which we never really played much live has come together really quickly and none of us have ever really listened to it much over the years. But it just seems to be be ingrained in our psyche. So yeah it's a bit odd. It all feels pretty good and I think everyone - we're playing really quietly too in rehearsal which is a little bit disconcerting for me (laughs). Because I think that our dynamics are going to have to come right up. Which I'm sure they will.

I'm sure that playing to eight hundred or a thousand people each night that'll happen.

A bazillion screaming people...at the Nash. On Thursday (laughs)...or whatever it is.

Is that maybe because of the recent 'On The Quiet' tour? Where you forced yourself to not rely on dynamics through volume.

I guess - we've got these really powerful amps these days. Which I'm not sure that we've ever really learned to control. Because back in the day we had these shitty little amplifiers, that I think we could push a lot more. These days there's just a little too much power on tap and we haven't really learned to play quietly and then use the power that's there. But the 'On The Quiet' tour was a bit more, relying on DI'd sounds and all those things where you're not necessarily getting much of a response, so you tend to pare things right back from the very start. And it translated over into our rehearsal as well. But I have a lot of trouble with the in-ears. The in-ear monitors, which is a bit weird because half the band's doing it and half the band's not. It kind've messes with the dynamics quite a lot. But you're right, when we get in front of eight billion people it'll all just happen.

So a practice for the 80,000 people must've been the Sound Relief show.

Yeah that was really great.

The opposite end of the spectrum.

Look I haven't set foot in the MCG. I know that's probably sacrilegious growing up in Melbourne.

Anti-Australian.

Yeah it's probably anti-Australian, probably anti a whole bunch of other things. Blokes, playing with balls....I dunno there's something about sport. But no it was really great, I had a great time and y'know, I was really enjoying it and I wasn't nervous at all and it was a nice thing to be able to contribute to. And you know it would be awesome to be in a band that played venues that big all the time (laughs). Anyone in their right mind would go 'Oh I'd rather not' - it's unbelievable. When all these peple are singing - albeit just the one song they know - it's pretty powerful. There's something undeniable about it.

It's almost not even music at that point, more some sort've communal expression.

Yeah that's exactly right. And I actually experienced that outside the MCG one year when a Grand Final was on and I was just amazed at how much power there was in that many people screaming you know? Just focused on the one thing. But yeah that was really great - unfortunate circumstances - but, this is what the Australian music industry does when such a tragedy occurs.

So is it going to be strange to not be a part of it for a while? Do you have plans post this tour?

Yeah I've been doing a lot of session work here and there around the traps. And I'm going to be hitting the road pretty hard with another reasonably famous Australian singer/songwriter. Which is A Ok in my books, it's gonna be great, I'm really looking forward to that. But I guess we [Augie] really need to step back from the whole thing and reassess what it is. I think Glenn more than anybody needs to do that and you know he's been wanting to make a solo record for a really long time and I think everyone including myself will be looking forward to it.

So how are you figuring out what to play on this tour? Are you going back further than the albums and playing stuff from your EPs and B-Sides etc?

I've started actually...playing the bassline - well (laughs). We've been having these arguments about what songs to play and I started playing the bassline to 'Century Son' [from the bands first EP, Thanks For The Memes]. And [Glenn] just shook his head (laughs). See, I know all the stuff still, it hasn't really left me. So you know, we might have to pull out 'Future Seal' [also from Thanks For The Memes] whether he likes it or not. Because if the band just starts playing it then he won't have a choice. Especially in front of that many people, he'll just have to (laughs).

It would go down a storm.

Yeah it will. But don't tell him that, what we're going to do.

I'll block it out in the interview. I'll put in '300 Nights' or something.

That's right. Something a lot safer (laughs).

One thing I was going to try and make a leap at...I was just noticing on your website, it's got a little blurb from a press release for Watch Me Disappear and it sort've goes into the things Augie have achieved and whatnot, and then it says "...now comes Augie March's next masterpiece, Watch Me Disappear'. I thought the use of that word 'masterpiece' straight up was interesting. Because my favourite thing that I've always liked about Augie is your sort've, battling or attempts to triumph over adversity; whether it's through strange songs or different personalites on stage...this collective trying to achieve something that perhaps isn't even achievable. But how you try is the fascinating thing. My question is, I wonder in the last few years with the accolades coming left right and centre whether that attempt is still an end point or a goal.

Yeah look...I'm not sure if it is. And I know that's kind've saying something I shouldn't be saying but...there's a fair amount of distraction going on in this band. And whether it's people's personal lives - in fact I know it's peoples personal lives - it's also you know, having those accolades. I think we have a skewed idea of self-worth as artists in this country. And that's something that doesn't stop at music. And so for a band like us to be getting this kind of praise, you need to actively try and step outside of what the band is. And helping to do that is going overseas and getting a real sense of your immediate ability and worth. You know, on a strange stage in front of people that don't know you and that sort've thing. I think we could've had a great deal more of a dose of that sort've reality. It's easier to be sort've a major hero in a minor world kind've thing.

And you know, apart from all that I would only hope the band can come back together at a future time and kind've do what we used to do, and rediscover us as musicians. And you know, trust each other again. Cause that's kind've what's gone you know? And the other thing is...we've only got one singer/songwriter and he's got to want to do it too. The very last thing I'd want to do is drag somebody out on the road who doesn't want to be there. Or put someone in front of a band that doesn't want to be in front of that band. But nobody wants to see that. I don't want to see that. That's why I'd be calling for things to wrap up a lot more solidly - and with a lot more commitment to wrapping it all up - rather than some sort've fading away kind've thing. But you know, even that's a difficult thing to negotiate (laughs). "Oh come on. Are we gonna finish this? Yes? No? C'mon! Put your neck on the line and make a decision here" (laughs).

I guess a lay off will help put those things in perspective.

Yeah I'm pretty sure it will. I'm just looking forward to...I've been playing on a lot of other peoples records of late and that's been really fun. And I'm pretty much going to put a big 'For Hire' sign on my head and see if I can't get around the world a couple more times playing bass. God forbid! What a prospect (laughs).

What a preposterous proposal...

I know it sounds ridiculous doesn't it! (laughs) We'll see what happens.


AUGIE MARCH - 'WATCH ME SET MY STRANGE SUN YOU BLOODY CHOIR' TOUR 2009

Jul 2 - National Hotel, Geelong, VIC
Jul 4 - Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide SA
Jul 9 - Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta, QLD
Jul 10 - Joe’s Waterhole, Eumundi, QLD
Jul 11 - The Hi-Fi, Brisbane, QLD
Jul 16 - Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle NSW
Jul 17 - Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Jul 18 - ANU Bar, Canberra, ACT
Jul 25 - Splendour In The Grass, Byron Bay NSW
Jul 29 - Bon Amici Cafe, Toowoomba *GLENN SOLO * QLD
Aug 1 - Cannot Buy My Soul - Riverstage, Brisbane *with GLENN RICHARDS* QLD
Aug 7 - Moorilla Estate, Hobart TAS
Aug 8 - Moorilla Estate, Hobart TAS
Aug 14 - Theatre Royal, Castlemaine VIC
Aug 15 - Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan  VIC
Aug 20 - Settlers Tavern, Margaret River WA
Aug 21 - Fly By Night, Fremantle WA
Aug 22 - Fly By Night, Fremantle WA
Aug 27 - Karova Lounge, Ballarat VIC
Aug 29 - Forum Theatre, Melbourne VIC

myspace.com/augiemarch