Your current album has been phenomenally successful, with single after single being released to radio. Are you still riding that wave or are you making the time to work on new songs?
Ross: As a band, a lot of things become like little pretty packaging that's cool for a little while and sells. We've always been striving to write an album that continually sells over the years. We wanted this album to be one that people buy 10 years from now, so that's definitely one of the things we're striving for. As writers we don't really want to rehash the past when we're playing by ourselves or as a band so we definitely try to write as much as possible in our own time and as a group. It does get tricky but it is a good thing to do.

Neil: There's also a good couple of singles that won't make radio and TV airplay because our time will run out before we move onto the next album.

Considering how many successful songs you've had, do you know if a song will be a hit? Is there a secret?
Ross: You have no idea. If we could predict hits then I think we'd be in a very different place.

Dirk: I think generally we write for what's in our minds and hearts ? the music ? and if it's a single, it's a single.

Marco: Speaking of our current album, one of the songs we planned to leave off is 'Out Of This Place'. We cut it off because it wasn't doing the job. And then just before we released the album we brought the song back and sort of revitalised it, and it ended up becoming the first single. You just never know. You never know.

So has this recent increased success resulted in a lot more attention on yourselves?
Ross: Not really.

Dale Schnettler: I think the South African fanbase is great. Prime Circle as a unit would not be where they are without the fans and so we're very grateful for the fans. But in terms of our personal lives, they're not in your face all the time and bothering you all the time. They let us be. That's why we love the South African fans so much.

Dirk: See, there's a whole group of people who just walked right past us, probably thinking 'Who's that?' (laughs)

Chances are, you know who they are though. Catch them live across South Africa this December. Visit www.primecircle.co.za for the dates.