The Watershed Band

Official No Reverse Artist

Development, Distribution, Syncing & Soundtracks

Brothers and musicians Tom and Leon Kafafian started The Watershed Band in 2018 as a nameless passion project, intending to use the time to hang out and focus on writing songs. Both brothers are accomplished musicians with careers developing bands and artists for decades, but Leon and Tom are first and foremost songwriters. They really focus on the sound and not so much on the presentational pop qualities that have taken over this business. “Fans are now followers, and music ‘Looks’ better than it sounds. We are really trying to bring the music back.” When asked about their process Leon said, “We really approach every song 50/50, building the song together. It was a great opportunity for us to work together on music just for us.” They spent the next year or so writing demos and recording in their home studios in New Jersey. The brothers would get together a few times a week to touch base, exchanging ideas, and then heading back to their respective submarines.

They joined forces with No Reverse in 2021 with their record, SUNSHINE, which debuted Top 10 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter chart. 

Tom has had experience developing a sound with mass appeal before, working on the Grammy Award-winning debut album by Lady Gaga, The Fame. He wrote the bonus track, “Disco Heaven,” and can be heard playing on many of the final tracks currently released. Tom and then-unknown Stefani Germanotta worked on the album in 2006. Kafafian spent months in a Parsippany studio with producer Rob Fusari and Gaga workshopping a sound inspired by the Cure and Missing Persons. The trio even considered forming a band, but after Stefani got signed to Streamline Records/Interscope and began her rise into pop stardom, they stopped working together. Tom went on to play bass with Gaga on her first world tour and played landmark shows like Glastonbury in 2009. Now 12 years later, Tom is ready to share the music he has made with his brother and have their time in the sun.

Tom and Leon share a love for the outdoors as much as they do for music, and they wanted to give the band a name that was true to their roots. After throwing around some ideas they settled on The Watershed Band, an homage to the Newark Watershed that circles the banks of the Pequannock River. The Watershed is a reminder of days past when these brothers could be boys. “The only call we ever got was our mother calling ‘Dinner!’ from the backdoor as the sun was setting over the pond.” The music is infused with the carefree vibes of their childhood with a playful sense of humor alongside catchy melodies and insightful lyrics.

The Watershed Band is here to put the focus back on songs and bring back a by-gone era when music was the soundtrack of our lives.