Augie March's first performance was in Brunswick at a friend's nudist exhibition. After playing several other gigs, the band were signed by record label Rag Records (a RooArt subsidiary distributed by BMG), at the time considered to be prestigious. Augie March's first EP, "Thanks for the Memes", was produced by Victor Van Vugt and released in early 1998. Despite very positive reviews it received very little airplay. Williams later remarked that he was surprised the band had been able to find a producer considering the obscure music on the EP, which at the time the band had considered "hip and cool, and intellectual".