One of South Africa’s most loved and enduring bands, Watershed have clocked numerous platinum and gold albums, as well as awards to their name since their debut single “Indigo Girl” surged up the charts in 2000.
Twenty years later, the acoustic rock band is more relevant than ever, so much so that independent European record label On-Stage has signed the band. The German-based label had their eyes on the band since they picked up on Watershed’s 2015 album Watch the Rain, followed their progress into Harbour, and decided to sign them for their next studio album. For the band, this means that they will be able to leverage an international market that will put them on equal footing with the rest of the world.
Watershed lead singer Craig Hinds comments
“It’s great to be back in the European market again. We’ve always had a fantastic fan base in Europe and the more people we can reach with our music the better.”
It’s no surprise that Watershed has made such an impact on the European market, having performed alongside some of the biggest names in the music industry; U2, Peter Gabriel, Beyonce, Queen, Bob Geldof, Roxette, The Corrs and The Cranberries, to name a few.
Their honest music and thoughtful lyrics have resonated with people the world over and this latest coup is testament and recognition to the timelessness and excellence of this homegrown South African brand.
The very real struggles of the music and entertainment industry through the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to get back to basics. The band is no different and has embraced this opportunity to write and record music that they are truly proud of.
Watershed comments on recording new material
“We were planning on touring in 2020 alongside a new album to celebrate 20 years in the music industry. Lockdown forced us to focus on just the creativity with no distractions.”
The seventh Watershed studio album, titled Elephant in the Room (#ElephantInTheRoom), is filled with songs that address the polarity of people and our failure to identify our own shortcomings, always looking outward and pointing fingers. Information has imprisoned us inside our own minds and too much noise everywhere confuses us, with little headspace left for compassion and solutions.
Craig Hinds explains
“We’re keeping it as raw as possible, focusing on our instruments and giving the songs space to tell the story.”
The album is set to be released on all digital platforms as well as CD and vinyl on 5 February 2021, followed by a European tour in March. Fans across the world will also be excited to hear that Watch the Rain and Harbour will also be released on vinyl.
Craig Hinds comments
“We see these two albums as well as the new one as part of our second phase in music. Watch the Rain took us down a road that we feel really comfortable with, which was followed by Harbour which solidified our sound.”
Check out www.watershed.co.za for more info about the band.
Watch this space for updates in the Music News category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
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