The Magic Numbers

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Magic Numbers
Background = group_or_band

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Img_capt = The Magic Numbers in 2006, left to right: Angela Gannon, Romeo Stodart, Michele Stodart (not pictured: Sean Gannon behind drum kit.)
Years_active = 2002 – present
Origin = Ealing, United Kingdom
Genre = Alternative rock
indie rock
Label = Capitol Records/EMI, Heavenly
Current_members = Sean Gannon
Angela Gannon
Romeo Stodart
Michele Stodart
URL = [http://www.themagicnumbers.net TheMagicNumbers.net]

The Magic Numbers are a four-piece indie rock band from England comprising two pairs of brother and sister who previously went to The Cardinal Wiseman Roman Catholic High School in Greenford. The group was formed in 2002, releasing their critically acclaimed debut album titled "The Magic Numbers" on June 13, 2005. Their follow-up album, "Those the Brokes" was released on November 6, 2006.

The Magic Numbers are: Romeo Stodart (lead guitar, vocals), Michele Stodart (bass, vocals), Sean Gannon (drums) and Angela Gannon (melodica, percussion, glockenspiel, vocals).

History

Backgrounds

The Stodarts are the children of a Scottish father and a Portuguese mother and were born in Trinidad in the Caribbean, where their mother was an opera singer and had her own TV show. When the family fled an Islamic coup attempt there in 1990, they were raised in New York. In the mid-1990s, when Romeo was 16 and Michelle was 10, they moved to London.

The Gannons are of Irish descent but lived in Hanwell where they became friends with their neighbours the Stodarts. Prior to forming The Magic Numbers, Romeo and Sean spent time trying to form a band together under various guises, and previously performed under the name 'Guess'.

Early years

In late 2002 The Magic Numbers formed in their present guise, and they began touring the London circuit, gradually developing their sound and building a small cult following, not least amongst some already established artists including The Chemical Brothers, Travis, and Ed Harcourt, with the latter later influential in their signing to record label Heavenly Recordings, narrowly beating off competition from Rough Trade Records.

Their rise came swiftly, beginning in the summer of 2004 and later that year when they began supporting well-known artists such as Travis, Ed Harcourt and Snow Patrol and appearing on the bill of some low-key UK festivals, building an intense following as they did so. In November 2004 they released a very limited edition 7” vinyl single, "Hymn for Her", to coincide with a three-show residency at The Borderline in London.

"The Magic Numbers"

On the back of releasing just one commercially-available single, "Forever Lost", and even before their debut album was released they played a sold-out show to a crowd of over 2,000 at The Forum in Kentish Town, London, a show that is recognised by many fanswho as the changing point between a band that was up-and-coming and one that became a household name. They played their first live session on UK radio on the Dermot O'Leary Show, BBC Radio 2.

The eponymous debut album was recorded in late 2004 and early 2005 at Metropolis Studios in London, and released on 13 June 2005. The album was produced and recorded by American Craig Silvey. Prior to release only "Forever Lost" was promoted as a commercial single and this was followed up by later releases "Love Me Like You", "Love's a Game" and "I See You, You See Me".

Following the release of their debut album, the remainder of 2005 and the first few months of 2006 were spent touring and promoting their album and singles, throughout the UK and USA, across Europe and also in New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Their Japanese tour was featured as a side documentary on the 2006 version of Jonathan Ross's "Japanorama" series.

Although heavily played down, they received a large amount of press attention for being the first band to walk off the TV show "Top of the Pops" after host Richard Bacon allegedly insulted their physiques (he denied "a fat melting pot of talent" was intended to be insulting), shortly before they were due to appear on the show to promote their single "Love Me Like You".fact|date=September 2008 According to an interview with New Zealand's "Groove Guide" magazine, it was rather that the band were not happy with the show's policy of lip synching rather than anything else.fact|date=September 2008

The album was shortlisted in 2005 for the coveted Mercury Music Prize.fact|date=September 2008

"'Those the Brokes"

After their heavy touring and promotion of their self-titled debut The Magic Numbers would return in autumn of 2006 with their follow-up album, "Those the Brokes". The band is currently continuing to promote and tour for the album, including supporting The Who in Southampton, and an appearance at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

The album was partly recorded in New York at Allaire Studios in Spring 2006, a venue which has also been used in the past by David Bowie, The Strokes and Ryan Adams, and was recorded and engineered by Richard Wilkinson.

In 2008, they contributed a t-shirt design to the [http://www.yellowbirdproject.com Yellow Bird Project] to raise money for the AIDS Society.

Discography

tudio albums

*"The Magic Numbers" (13 June 2005)
Chart Position: #7 (UK)
*"Those the Brokes" (6 November 2006)
Chart Position: #11 (UK)

ingles

From "The Magic Numbers"

From "Those the Brokes"

Contributions

The Magic Numbers have made appearances on various other artists' releases, including:

*Duke Special - "Our Love Goes Deeper Than This" (backing vocals)
*The Chemical Brothers - "Close Your Eyes" (vocals)
*The Concretes – "Your Call" (vocals), "Sunbeams" (backing vocals)
*Ed Harcourt – "Revolution in the Heart" (backing vocals)
*David Kitt – "Up to You" and "Guilty Prayers, Pointless Ends" from the album, "Not Fade Away" (backing vocals)
*Jane Birkin - "Fictions"
*The Boxer Rebellion - "Flashing Red Light Means Go" (backing vocals by Angela) - from the forthcoming album, "Union"

Compilation contributions

*"" (2005) - cover of Tim Buckley's "Sing a Song for You"
*"" (2005) - "Gone Are the Days"
*"" (2007) - cover of Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love"

External links

* [http://www.themagicnumbers.net Official website of "The Magic Numbers"]