You've gotta hand it to Sugar Jones. The all-female quintet has managed to become one of Canada's most famous pop groups without releasing a single note of original music.

Even Winnipeg's Maiko Watson is bemused at the fan following they've already amassed on the Internet, where TV's Popstars now have two official Web sites, at www.popstars.ca and www.sugarjones.ca.

"And apparently there are fan Web sites now and that kind of thing and it's really overwhelming. It's just kind of funny to me because we haven't even come out with any music yet -- like no one's really heard what we sound like, so it's kinda funny."

Actually, after eight weeks on Global TV, viewers are intimately acquainted with the vocal talents of Watson, 19, and her mates, Hamilton, Ont., singer Andrea Henry, 21, Quebecers Julie Crochetiere, 20, and Mirella Dell'Aquila, 19, and Vancouver's Sahara MacDonald, 23.

But their Popstars status gets cred when their first single, Days Like That, debuts on Global Ch. 12 tomorrow at 6 p.m. The video debuts on April 15 and Global has added three episodes to the original 13 to chronicle the making of a full-length album with Universal Music.

"I'm excited to finish recording the album and just get out there and start performing," Watson says, noting Sugar Jones' first gig is April 2 at an industry party.

"Hopefully, once we're done with the album we'll be doing a lot more shows. I think we're going on tour this summer, so it's gonna be busy, it's gonna be fun."

Born in Guyana, Watson came to Canada as a baby. Her mom Beatrice and sister Bahiyyih, 17, still live in Winnipeg, and Watson has performed here with a hip-hop dance group and rap duo Mood Ruff.

A Kelvin High School grad, she attended the University of Winnipeg for a year but took last year off to seek work in the music business. That went well.

She beat out 4,000 hopefuls in mass auditions, and Sugar Jones is now working with songwriters and producers whose clients include Nelly Furtado, Jacksoul and McMaster & James.

But Watson says she's not forgetting her past. During a visit to Winnipeg a few weeks back, she was reminded there's no place like home.

"Even when I was just out, like, people would just come up to me and congratulate me," she says. "I'd just like to thank everyone in Winnipeg for the support because I appreciate it so much. It's so nice to know that, and I'm so proud to be from Winnipeg."

DAILY GRIND OF A POPSTAR

Watson says the life of the Popstars is a lot of work:

Working Out

The girls do an hour of weight training with a personal trainer two or three days a week, and try to fit in a 40-minute cardiovascular workout five days a week. "For me it's not that different because I've always worked out, I have a membership at the Y, it's nothing really new to me," Watson says. "I think it's cool, I like to stay in shape."

Working It

Voice and dance/choreography rehearsals and occasional extras like wardrobe selection and a session with a media trainer who gave them tips on handling the press and conducted practice interviews. They've just finished a shoot on a video for Days Like That, with director Noble Jones, who's worked with Mary J. Blige, Big Sugar and I Mother Earth. Now, they're rehearsing for their first performance on April 2, at a party hosted by Toronto's KISS 92-FM radio station.

Down Time

"We talk on the phone a lot. We're all always on our phones because it's the only connection we really have to home. We're sponsored by Motorola so we each get our own cell phone and we get free long distance. We're on it all the time. I keep in touch with everyone from Winnipeg and all my friends"

Dinner Time

"We haven't really had so much time to cook now, so we usually grab a bite to eat outside or something. But we try to cook when we can because it's easier to eat healthy when we cook," Watson says. Their personal trainer has helpful diet advice, but sometimes, the girls prefer to help themselves. "We listen to what he says and then we modify it," Watson laughs. "I like anything with cheese on it. I'm a big cheese fan. I like pizza." She also misses her mom's curried chicken, but not this week. Sister Bahiyyih just arrived for a visit bearing a care package.

Home Work

Sharing a high-rise condo overlooking Lake Ontario in downtown Toronto, the girls get a per diem and free rent, but no room service. "We do everything ourselves. We've got the place but we take care of it. We cook for ourselves, we don't have like a maid or anything like that. We take the subway. It's not all like glamourous."