Johnny Depp’s Secret Musical Obsession Revealed — An Australian Band He Compares to The Beatles!

For all his Hollywood shape-shifting, Johnny Depp’s first love has always been music. The actor, who famously described his path into acting as “an accident,” has never lost his devotion to the raw energy of blues and rock, often spotted onstage with legends like Jeff Beck or jamming with Hollywood Vampires. Yet, when asked to name the band that stands out most in his memory for songwriting, Depp didn’t look to Britain or America’s storied music scenes. Instead, he looked “Down Under”—and offered a stunning comparison to the world’s most iconic songwriters.

“There’s a band that I adore out of Australia called Augie March,” Depp revealed, a glint of reverence in his voice. “And it is for me, some of the best songwriting I’ve ever experienced and is right up there in the Lennon-McCartney range. The main songwriter, Glenn Richards, the singer, is, well, he and the band are incredibly talented. The song I would turn you on to would be, first, ‘One Crowded Hour’. Listen to that.”

For Depp, the appeal of Augie March isn’t just their melodic sensibility—it’s the literary, slowly-unfolding quality of their music. “One Crowded Hour,” a haunting ballad full of subtle emotion and rich lyricism, is the kind of track you’d expect from someone so enmeshed in music’s deep traditions. It’s a song that moves at its own pace, revealing layers with every listen—much like the best of The Beatles’ catalog.

Depp’s praise is especially significant given his own journey through the world of music and film. Having spent his early years in Los Angeles nightclubs and seedy rock venues like The Viper Room, Depp lived the life of a working musician before Hollywood intervened. “I was a musician, and I moved out to LA with my band when I was 20 years old… There were a couple of things that happened where the band split up. I remember I was filling out a couple of job applications with a friend of mine,” Depp once recalled during his high-profile 2022 trial.

Those early musical dreams, mixed with a keen ear for originality and lyrical depth, have clearly stayed with Depp. His acting, famously inspired by rock icons like Keith Richards, is suffused with the spirit of those wild, wandering years. But when it comes to pure songwriting, he’s unabashed about holding up Augie March—and especially Glenn Richards—alongside Lennon and McCartney, the most hallowed names in modern music.

While some may find Depp’s praise hyperbolic, his recommendation has sent waves through both his own fanbase and fans of Augie March, sparking renewed interest in a band that has long been cherished in Australia but less widely known abroad. Whether or not you agree with Depp’s comparison, one thing is clear: the thrill of discovering a new band, especially through the eyes of a lifelong music lover, is as vital as ever.

So next time you’re looking for something new to listen to, follow Johnny Depp’s lead—cue up “One Crowded Hour,” and decide for yourself whether Augie March deserves a place beside the giants.