26 | September 18, 2014 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

The MagicNumbers areback! It feelslike 2005 all overagain. Except nowit’s fourth albumtime, and, leadsinger RomeoStodart tells ELLAWALKER, they’vechanged quite abit

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THE HEADLINER: MUSIC

the critical listThis week’s entertainment highlights

The Magic Numbers:

“Bowling is the onlysport you can do witha drink in your hand”

HOT TICKETS WHAT’S ONWHAT’S ON HOT TICKETSHOT TICKETS WHAT’S ONWHAT’S ON HOT TICKETS

The Magic Numbers, CambridgeJunction, Saturday, September 20at 7pm. Tickets £16 from (01223)511511 / cornex.co.uk.

Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | September 18, 2014 | 27

IT’S amazing what can come fromhaving a crush.

You kinda fancy a girl, startmaking that known, her brotherdoesn’t kick up too much of a fuss,and before long you’ve joinedforces, written a Mercury MusicPrize-nominated album and becomedarlings of indie-pop with happy-go-lucky hooks.

Well, that’s what happened to TheMagic Numbers anyway.

Siblings Michele and RomeoStodart grew up in Trinidad beforemoving to New York to escapea coup, and then wound up inHanwell, London, where Romeomet Angela Gannon, developedsaid crush and bonded with herolder brother Sean over a joint loveof Guns N’ Roses. They formedThe Magic Numbers in 2002 withMichelle on bass, Angela on melodicaand percussion, Sean on drums andRomeo on vocals and guitar, andhave stuck together ever since.

In fact, even on rare days off whenthey’re meant to be recovering forthe next round of shows (whichnever happens: “you’re like ‘we’vegot a day off tomorrow so let’s caneit all night insanely!’”), they still endup hanging out at the bowling alley:“None of us are bowling championsbut it’s the only sport you can do witha drink in your hand.”

We speak not on a day off sadly,but on the eve of rehearsals for theband’s tour promoting new albumAlias, and Romeo sounds surprisinglylaid back about, well, everything. “It’sbeen cool, it’s been good actually,”he drawls contentedly. “We’ve donea few festivals and we played quite afew of the new songs. It’s been goingwell.”

The band did a brief acoustic tourat the end of last year as a previewdesigned to tentatively share a fewnew tracks, followed by a tour ofEurope supporting Neil Young, butthis autumn – including a CambridgeJunction stop – is the first time thenew album is going to get a properairing.

“I think people will be surprisedwhen they listen to it,” says Romeo,admitting the record doesn’t have thesame feel as their early, much-lovedsingles Forever Lost and Love MeLike You. But: “for me we’ve finallycaptured the sound of the band –when we play live, that energy. It’sdefinitely our best record for sure. Ithink the song writing has steppedup. I mean, you would hope whenyou’re making the fourth albumyou’re getting better and better atwhat you do.”

Even the fourth time aroundthough – particularly after the tepidresponses to their last two albums,Those The Broke and The Runaway– it must have been nerve-wrackingwhen they first started sharing someof the songs? “Yeah, it always isbecause you’re in your own worlddoing your thing,” he agrees. “Thefirst time you invite a few friendsinto the studio, have a few drinks,say check this out, you can tell thereaction straightaway. Also, when youlisten to things with someone in theroom, you start hearing the things youdon’t like about it so you can improvethem.

“It’s always good I think [havingother peoples’] ears in mind, but thereactions throughout have been reallycool.”

Has he got a favourite song toperform off it yet, or is it still too

soon? “We’re still working throughthem all, but I think Shot In The Dark,because we get to wig out a bit morethan usual, it’s good to rock out. Thatone’s been getting longer and longerevery time we play it!”

Official reviews so far havebeen mixed though. Online musicmagazine The Line of Best Fit said:“Alias is by no means a bad album– on the contrary, it highlights thematurity and progression of fourhighly talented and much loved

British musicians – but it’s just notthat fun,” while Q magazine called it:“A real jewel from an underestimatedband. ”

The Magic Numbers started outplaying harmony driven indie popthat frothed with jangling guitars andeasy-going hooks. And people lovedit. Their self-titled 2005 debut soldmore than 700,000 copies and wasnominated for the Mercury Prizecirca The Kaiser Chiefs and Hard-Fi(remember them? In the end Anthony

‘I think people will be surprised when they listen to it. For mewe’ve finally captured the sound of the band – when we playlive, that energy’

SURPRISE IN STORE: The MagicNumbers say this tour, whichincludes a date at The Junction,will be the first time their newalbum, Alias, will get a properairing

THE HEADLINER: MUSIC

What are youlistening to?I really like that War on Drugs album,I think that’s really good. And Idiscovered this guy called PeterWalker, he made this obscure album(Has Anybody Seen Our Freedoms?),doing these improvisations on hisguitar. It’s kinda weird but it’s reallygood, I’m really loving it.

28 | September 18, 2014 | cambridge-news.co.uk | Cambridge News

THE HEADLINER: MUSIC

and the Johnsons won. Um, whereare they now?), and Love Me LikeYou can still elicit the odd tingle. Theintervening records were less lucid –although you can’t argue with the softjauntiness of I See You, You See Me– and passed many an ear by. Aliasis definitely more solid; more alive(we’re ignoring the weird disco vibeon E.N.D.).

This change in sound and theirdevelopment as a band has beendeliberately reflected in the album’stitle. “I wanted it to imply a kindof new thing for the group. A newidentity,” says Romeo, pausing. “Alot of the songs are about coming toterms with the fact you can surpriseyourself, that there are differentversions of you: if you’re arounddifferent people you react differently,

and when you’re on your own you’resomeone else.”

Much of this soul searching, thisworking out of who you are, andrealising you can squeeze a multitudeof personas, feelings and identities inunder your skin – as well as on to an11-track CD – comes from the factRomeo has recently become a father.

“It’s been a real life-changer in themost positive way,” he says of his son(also called Romeo). “He’s made mylife so much more meaningful, really.I was lost before.”

Large chunks of the record werealso prompted by a pretty harrowingbreak up. It must be tough getting upon stage and reliving those emotions,raw and exposed, on stage everynight. “Yeah, sometimes it can bedifficult,” Stodart muses. “When

I’m feeling reflective or down, that’swhen I will go to the piano or pick upa guitar and start writing, to get thingsout of your system almost. So whenyou’re playing live and playing thosesongs, sometimes if you switch offfrom even thinking about the showit can be quite emotionally draining.But when you see the crowd itbecomes like ‘oh ok, these songs areeverybody’s songs’. But I think theyneed to come from that place to behonest, for me anyway, to be singingthem.”

Other than the potential emotionaltrauma of touring, is of coursethe potential emotional trauma oftouring with family… surely the fourof them must be getting into siblingscraps constantly? “Ha. On tour it’sactually kinda fun because we really

do get on – the four of us,” Romeosays diplomatically before laughing.“Shaun and Angela, they’re like afridge buzzing, they’re just constantlybickering like 24/7, like just totalshutdown, so it’s really funny, butthere’s never any malice or anythingin it.

“Myself and Michelle, it can getquite heated sometimes. She canjust throw me a look, or somehowI’ve thrown her a look withouteven knowing I have! On the roadwe’re all just up for having a goodtime, drinking and playing, but inthe studio it can be really intensebetween me and my sister becauseit’s a high pressured thing.

“We’re committing something thatwill live forever, so you want it to beright.”

What have yougot planned next?“There’s talk ofus going back outwith Neil Young inAmerica.”