[1][2] According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, "[they] won critical praise for [their] mix of literate, sensitive pop and chamber folk.

[3][7] Augie March's first extended play (EP), Thanks for the Memes, was produced by Victor Van Vugt (Beth Orton, Nick Cave).

[9] Greg Lawrence of Worldwide Home of Australasian Music and More Online (WHAMMO) observed that the six-track version displayed, "dynamic arrangements, an endless lyrical depth and the ability to rock with intensity.

"[9] In 2007 Williams described his surprise that they had found a producer, due to their obscure music, which at the time they considered, "hip and cool, and intellectual.

[1][3][8] Richards' friend, Rob Dawson, officially joined the band on keyboards and piano, after being a studio musician on Thanks for the Memes and Waltz.

[1][8] The group attempted to organise launches in Sydney and Melbourne, however, they were thwarted, Donovan explained "it seemed like every band in the country was doing a tour then and we couldn't get any venues.

[16] Sunset Studies' critical reception was generally positive; Noel Mengel of The Courier-Mail said that on the album, "songs of quiet reflection, starkly beautiful melodies and intimate poetry collide on the canvas without a thought to sales graphs or what radio program directors might think,"[17] while AllMusic's Jack Rabid told American readers "it's worth the effort to track down [the album], particularly for those who think there are no more musical craftsmen out there.

"[24] In response to previous complaints about misinterpretations of Richards' Sunset Studies wordplay, Augie March included a lyrics booklet with Strange Bird.

"[26] Reviewers, however, focused on the positives; Guy Garvey in The Independent said "My favourite of the year is Augie March's Strange Bird",[27] while David Fricke wrote in Rolling Stone of "luxuriant melees of chiming guitars, mountain-stream voices and keyboard grandeur.

"[28] Donovan told Beat Magazine's Karen Conrad that the band found it hard to take the "flattering" reviews too seriously, "if we did our heads would explode or overinflate.

[1][3] The band worked with two producers, McKercher and Eric Drew Feldman, and recorded in Melbourne, San Francisco, and their own studio in Nagambie, Victoria.

"[39][40] Ammendola told Drum Media's Andrew Street that this award was more significant than an ARIA: it is "nominated on the grounds of music, and the art of it – not necessarily record sales.

[36] Joe Tangari of Pitchfork Media called it a "crime" that the band had not broken through in North America earlier,[44] though AllMusic's Ben Peterson remarked that Strange Bird was a higher quality album than its follow-up.

[57][58] Appearing with Augie March in Melbourne were, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi, Hunters & Collectors, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley, Jack Johnson, Jet, Kings of Leon, Liam Finn, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and Wolfmother.

[60] That same month, the band undertook the Watch Me Set My Strange Sun You Bloody Choir tour, where they played every state capital and many regional towns, performing each of their four albums.

It was released on 3 October 2014 and was rated at 3.5 out-of 5 stars by Zuel, who find, "Australia's complex/troubled relationships between mateship v exclusion, honour v greed, and history v mythology has become more pronounced.

[65] Three years later, their eighth album Malagrotta was released, composed from "notes made on a mobile phone while in the grip of a species of long Covid and a brutal high European Summer".

[66] In November 2023, Augie March collaborated with Romy Vager and released a cover of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' "Henry Lee".

[72] Allmusic's Jack Rabid said Richards "exhibits a honey voice" on Sunset Studies,[18] but Grok pointed out that the album was rendered too complex or intricate for a mainstream audience.

This was both a positive and negative criticism; Tangari complained that at times "there is a surplus of sound", but also said that the combination of the first two tracks—"The Vineyard" ("slow beauty") and "This Train Will Be Taking No Passengers" ("a wailing rockabilly psych raver")—was an excellent set-up.

[69] Derek Miller of Stylus Magazine called the opening trio—the third song being the "simple acoustic guitar and arcing piano" of "Little Wonder"—bewildering, and that the album remained consistently as such throughout.

[75] PopMatters' Zeth Lundy described Richards' wordplay as frenzied, and said the "refined, worldly wit" on Strange Bird was striking.

[76] Chad Grischow of IGN wrote of "lush, mesmerizing music meld with gorgeous melodies brought to life by Richards' rich vocals that wrap themselves around each instrument".

[78] Miller of Stylus also touched on the fact that "Moo is as direct a shot as you'll ever get at Augie March", but that it was nonetheless a "refining and continuation" of the band's work thus far.

[79] Shirley Halperin, writing for Entertainment Weekly, said the album featured "smooth, emotive vocals mingle with soaring melodies that'd make Paul McCartney proud".

[80] Dan Raper of PopMatters said the lyrics to "One Crowded Hour" were poetic, citing the lines "Well put me in a cage full of lions / I'll learn to speak lion / In fact I know the language well",[81] as well as the "full and glorious" chorus; And for one crowded hour, you were the only one in the roomAnd I sailed around all those bumps in the night to your beacon in the gloomI thought I had found my golden September in the middle of that purple JuneBut one crowded hour would lead to my wreck and ruin[81]Watch Me Disappear was Augie March's most mainstream pop work to date, described as a further distillation of the band's earlier, even more complex, music.

[56] Scott Podmore wrote in the Herald Sun that the album did not have a standout song or an instant appeal but that it was "a slow burner that takes time to get to know you, but once it does, it's a friend for good".

[83] Triple J reviewer Jenny Valentish argued that multiple songs from the album could take the place of "One Crowded Hour" as "likely to become wailed for and misquoted at festivals".

Songwriting for Augie March is primarily initiated by Richards; he delivers demos to the rest of the band members who then collaborate with him to develop the music.

David Fricke of Rolling Stone lauded an Augie March concert he saw in New York, which assisted the band in making inroads in the United States.