South African Pop-Rock band Watershed have released their seventh studio album, “Elephant in the Room”, which sees the iconic band take on a more authentic, live sound.
Watershed was hoping for a 2020 release to the follow-up to their 2018 album Harbour, celebrating 20 years of being one of South Africa’s most beloved bands, but like the rest of the world, they were caught unexpectedly by a global pandemic.
Lead vocalist Craig Hinds spoke to IOL Entertainment about the band’s latest offering and how the Covid-19 pandemic forced the band off the concert treadmill and into creativity, where they were able to get on with some song writing and resting.
“I think once we realised that lockdown was being extended and there was no light at the end of the tunnel, the decision was made to get going on a new record.
“I'd be lying if I said nothing came from Covid-19 lockdowns. I spent lots of time watching things unfold around us, I saw people thriving and I saw people really battling.
“I saw relationships fail and love affairs blossom. I saw politicians disappoint and bloom at the same time, so it was a really interesting time for creativity.
“At least 70% of the songs were written during the lockdown”, said Hinds.
The album is filled with songs that reflect the times we live in, the daily frustrations and simple pleasure we’ve found in our “new normal”.
“The theme shifts between the stresses of being contained and the freedom of open space.
“I love the lyric about ’where the rivers meet from the high land peaks that bring a message down of something pure and sweet, to guide you home so you can finally rest ...’,” Hinds said.
He said that they ended up approaching the album from “a more live perspective”, and a big reason for this was that when they found the time, they had to spend it wisely, workshopping the songs.
Hinds, who also plays the piano and guitar, said he thinks this gives a cool vibe to the record and a sound that he feels is “right for now and right for the band”.
Commenting on how different this album is compared to their previous offerings, he said: “The 2000s were a big learning curve from many respects.
“We were churning out big songs in various countries on the clock, and I suppose you can lose track of where you’re heading.
“The albums from 2015 (’Watch the Rain’) through 2018 (’Harbour’) and until now have been way more real and present for me.
“The band has grown really tight and very much on the same page right now.
“This is when the magic starts to happen and we’re very excited about the future from a song writing and production point of view”.
Asked how the name for this album came about, Hinds said: “It is what it is. There are things to address that no one is talking about.
“Everyone knows the problems, everyone talks about the problems, but no one does anything about the problems.
“I took this basic theme and built it into the songs, whether they be political or love-based.”
He said he hopes that when people listen to Elephant in the Room, they experience happiness.
“Our focus has always been on making people happy. We like to keep it real and we like to write the songs that we like to write.
“We hope that people enjoy listening to our new ideas and our new songs and go away feeling refreshed and good! I hope all the songs give you something to think about”.
“Elephant in the Room” is available on all streaming platforms.