Watershed are proof that the music industry is about being in the right place at the right time. Get this. When their hit, Indigo Girl was first released in South Africa, their record company, EMI, sampled it to the EMI offices across the various European territories. They were turned down by everyone.

Then a German radio station programmer was sunning himself on Camps Bay one glorious summer's day when he heard Indigo Girl playing on the radio. He was so impressed he bought the album and playlisted it on his station when he returned to Stuttgart.

His four million listeners fell in love with the song. Radio stations around the country started phoning EMI Germany demanding a copy of the album. They in turn phoned EMI SA in a total panic.

Within two weeks a tour of Germany was arranged and Watershed whizzed off to fame and fortune.

The question now is: with the release of their third album, Mosaic, can the band maintain their successful journey?

Lead singer and main songwriter, Craig Hinds is confident. "We have at least two tracks on the album that are as good as Indigo Girl," says the quietly spoken yet witty vocalist.

"The problem in South Africa is that we have neglected this market because we have been playing overseas. We are changing this and have a launch planned for November 29."

Their last SA launch saw 10 000 people gather at Nelson Mandela Square just to see them perform. This band certainly has pulling power. Proof of this is in their unit sales of 180 000 world wide.

But Craig didn't consciously plan any of this music stuff. "I stayed well away from bands and choirs at school," he recalls. "I played rugby and waterpolo." (That's pretty evident in his sexy broad shoulders! Yumm-ee.)

After school he qualified as an English school teacher and went on to become an HOD.

"I always knew I could sing," he explains, "so I bought myself a guitar and started writing lyrics and melodies."

At age 25 he said goodbye to teaching and took the plunge . He did the pub circuit before forming Watershed. But this talent couldn't have just "started" 25 years into his life. He thinks for a while and blinks his pretty blue eyes.

"Well, my father, Kevin Hinds, was a successful musician and music was always in my life. As I child I would fall asleep under the table at gigs. So maybe I was just absorbing and absorbing."

"It had to come out eventually and I'm glad it happened when it did otherwise I could have got married and started a family and ruined people's lives.

"The other members of Watershed have played all their lives and I am lucky to have a great batch of musicians surrounding me. It means half the battle is won."

Craig is also a self-taught pianist, an instrument they use well in their live shows. "When we first toured Germany we were under heavy scrutiny from the Germans. They're very particular about live shows.

"Our German manager gave us a long lecture about putting on a good live show. Now we incorporate the piano and guitars and our shows have more texture to them."

Craig comes across as real man, a persona that does not match up to his sensitive lyrics. I discover that he is Gemini, a star sign known for its duality. So one of his personalities is all-man and the other is a romantic?

"Romantic?" he asks curiously. "Mmmm ... I dunno know. Do you think I'm romantic?" Like, duh, Mr Rock '* Roll Hearthrob! It's not just your good looks that make the girls swoon.

The thing about this band, who make easy listening music, is that everyone can identify with their lyrics. They are sweet in their simplicity and courageous in their honesty.

"Creatively the band has matured on this album," says Craig. "In the beginning I was the sole music writer but with Mosaic, the band had an imput. Headspace-wise it's a typical Watershed album but the music is bigger. We wanted to emphasise our live sound so the guitars play a larger role."

Their move away from the acoustic sound to a rockier place means the band is growing. Let's see if the fan base will grow too.

Our music is distinctive in that rich vocals are instantly recognisable and structurally there are never any rules. Supported by a unique piano style, electric riffs and keyboard hooks, our songs are attractive to a wide audience for one simple reason ... they cling to your heart and never let go.

Watershed owns a style which is not typically Pop, not typically Rock but simply Watershed. The music takes on changes in direction during songs as well as during sets. Our goal as musicians and artists is to enjoy music, which in turn flows over to our audience. Our audiences grow with each show - and this is what drives us.
The band members naturally follow different genres and influences and this is why we are unique and continually keep our fans guessing.

Having sold over 100 000 albums in Europe and had 2 platinum and one gold album in South Africa, we are one of SA's most successful bands. We have also enjoyed more than a dozen South African radio hits with our last two albums, which both won South African Music Awards.

We have played in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, performed on "Top of the Pops" and at the New Pop Festival. We also performed at the inaugural Nelson Mandela 46664 concert in Cape Town in 2003 and shared the stage with Bono, Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel and the Corrs.

Watershed is here to stay, our global fan base is forever growing and the quality of performance and the song writing is ever evolving.