By Michael Osborn BBC News Online

Pop trio the Sugababes can finally lay claim to be Britain's leading girl band after a whirlwind six months, which has seen them score two chart-toppers and eclipse the likes of rivals Atomic Kitten and Mis-Teeq.

A far cry from last year, which saw the departure of founder member Siobhan Donaghy, and the group dumped from their record label.

What's most important is whether you've got a good record or not

Keisha Buchanan

But Heidi Range joined the group, herself a one-time member of Atomic Kitten, a new record deal was won, and their feisty comeback Freak Like Me stormed to number one, thanks to a riff from 80s electro-guru Gary Numan.

But the band cannot stand still if it wants more success.

Street-wise

Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena and Heidi Range recently did a sing and sign-session for a legion of fans in a London record store.

The three performers are all very different indeed.

Liverpudlian Range is polite and quietly-spoken, but certainly not shy. Buchanan is wide-eyed and enthusiastic, while lip-pierced Buena is frosty and street-wise.

Another hard day for the pop trio

The girls were quick to play down claims that they have become Britain's most successful female group and former Kitten Range was the first to speak up. "We don't think of ourselves as the top girl band," she says.

"And we don't like to compare ourselves with the others. We're all working really hard and doing what suits us. There's enough room for all the girl bands," adds Range

Success

Strong-voiced Buena argued that scoring number ones is not important to the Sugababes even though Freak Like Me and Round Round have given them that success.

"As long as people recognise us for our music, we don't really care if we get to number one or just in the top 30," she explains.

Atomic Kitten are rivals to Sugababes

"What's most important is whether you've got a good record or not," chips in Buchanan.

With their first album since the woes of last year just out, the trio are unanimously proud of Angels With Dirty Faces and confess it was a hard slog of seven months to create 40 songs from which the final cut was made.

"The album was most important," declares Buena. "It had so much of our personalities and our feelings in it."

'Predictable'

Compared to the likes of Gareth Gates and Will Young, these girls are seasoned musical veterans. And they hold similar opinions about the whole Pop Idol phenomenon.

"It's really predictable," pipes up Buchanan. "You know whoever wins Pop Idol is going to get a number one, which isn't a good thing. It should be about the music."

Sugababes admitted Will Young was 'talented'

But like well-honed professionals, the trio wish Will and Gareth good luck and admit they were pleased to see "talented" Will Young win Pop Idol.

The trio also give unanimous respect to Mercury Music Prize nominee Ms Dynamite, and think that R&B singer Alicia Keys is heading for classic status.

For a group of girls at the top of their tree, the Sugababes appear to have their feet planted firmly on the ground.