Apache can’t access file while is has permission

I don’t want to allow others read access, so I have added my user and the apache user to a group called apachme and then set that group to all the files and folders I want apache to have access to, including the root of the webpage. I have then given group and owner all permissions. After this apache still can’t access the files without setting the read permission to allow all(rwxrwxr--(0774)).