By Melindi Coetzee

Project: An individual or collaborative enterprise planned and designed to achieve an aim. The Graeme Watkins Project: A joint initiative planned and designed to accomplish world music domination. With their unique combination of pop, Indie rock and electronic genres this four piece band’s fresh, energy educing sound and inventive tracks might just be the next best thing!

Meet the band

The Graeme Watkins Project boasts with the combined music marvel of its four members. RynoZeelie, lead guitarist: famed for playing with Danny K and starring in the musicals, We will Rock You and Rent. Matthew Marinus, the dynamic drummer well known for his work in Fevertree and Zebra & Giraffe. Legendary bass boffin, RudoPieterse: renowned for his part in Karen Zoid’s band. Finally, Graeme Watkins, performer extraordinaire and lead vocals: fans favourite and runner up in the fifth Season of SA Idols.

From good to great

“It all started at Figure of 8 Productions where we met up for the first time to jam. There was an unbelievable amount of chemistry between the four of us in the rehearsal room and we inspired great ideas from each other,” The Watkins recalls. In their first rehearsal they wrote the song ‘Real World’ in

“The song writing is a very organic process. We just get in the room and feel what the song is trying to tell us. That’s what we run with,” lead guitarist, The Ginger, adds.

Drawing inspiration from bands like The Springbok Nude Girls, Boo!, The Killers and Depeche Mode, these guys go all out when performing, aiming to get the crowd rocking to their melodies. “Playing at the Kirstenbosch Gardens in January 2012 was one of the most memorable moments so far in my music career. There were people as far as we could see and they were signing the words back to us,” Graeme says.

Music to your ears

The Graeme Watkins project launched their debut album, Corridors of the Mind, in March 2011. Since then they’ve already produced two top ten hit singles from the album. Graeme thinks their fast growing success is a combination of luck and hard work.

“Remember it takes        10 000 hours to become an overnight success,” he jokes.The front man’s motto is echoed in their music: “A masterpiece is a stroke of genius in a moment of madness, so live life like a madman.” With a SAMA nomination already on their list of achievements and at the rate these guys are creating music, world domination might not be so far off.