The Magic Numbers

Trinidad-born singer/songwriter Romeo Stodart fronts London's Magic Numbers, a band that merges melodic experimentation in the vein of the Flaming Lips and David Axelrod with the sweet harmonies of 1960s pop outfits such as the Lovin' Spoonful and the Mamas & the Papas. Shortly after relocating from New York City to the U.K. in the early 2000s, Stodart started making music alongside drummer Sean Gannon. The lineup later grew when Romeo's sister Michele came aboard on bass and Sean's sister Angela added percussion and melodica.

In 2004 the group signed to Heavenly Records, the U.K.-based EMI imprint, and issued its critically acclaimed self-titled debut the next year. Sophomore album Those the Brokes followed in 2006, with the Undecided EP appearing in summer 2007. Their third full-length, The Runaway, surfaced in July 2010 and entered the U.K. charts at 46. An intensive touring schedule that reached as far as Australia preceded a short hiatus, during which bassist Michele Stodart issued a country-inspired solo album in 2012. The stripped-back character of The Runaway prompted the outfit to reconvene for an acoustic tour in 2013. Alias, their fourth album, was tracked at the band's home studio and released in 2014. Four years after that, the loud, lively Outsiders arrived.