She made her name alongside her brother in the Magic Numbers, but Michele Stodart tells  Tim Hughes she is now ready to open up her heart and go it alone as an artist

FOREVER known as one-quarter of The Magic Numbers, Michele Stodart is stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight.

The bass player, who scored gold and double-platinum albums with her Mercury Prize-nominated band of brothers and sisters, is picking up lead guitar and setting off on her own.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” she says. “I’ve been writing songs from a really young age, some dating back to when I was 17, and I want to get them out there.”

Michele is embarking on a UK tour which next Thursday reaches Oxford’s Jericho Tavern. And she is not short of material. Solo album Wide-Eyed Crossing is a gritty acoustic gem - all seething emotion and heartbreak - much of it inspired by the breakup of a relationship - and reminiscent of Joni Mitchell at her best.

“It’s very sparse,” she says. “And it draws you in. There is some bouncier stuff and more country-influenced stuff but no three-part harmonies. The lyrics are direct which have allowed me to get closure on some personal things in my life.”

It’s a plucky move. With The Magic Numbers Michele became part of one of the most instantly recognisable bands of the past decade. With her brother Romeo on guitars and vocals and sibling bandmates Angela and Sean Gannon on melodica and drums, they peddled warm, fuzzy country-pop, inspired by Dylan, The Band and Emmylou Harris.

Their eponymous debut album was a huge hit and was followed by further success with follow-ups Those the Brokes and The Runaway.

But while, after 10 years together, the band is still going strong, Michele is ready for some time apart from her bro and the Gannons, their former West London neighbours.

“Romeo and I co-wrote most of The Magic Numbers songs,” she says.”But I have never played any of my own songs with the band. It was always a different thing.

”For me to get a chance to do my own debut album is amazing. There’s no pressure from anyone and it’s good to have the experience of having been in the studio to record three albums with the band. It’s loads of fun.”

Born on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, where her Portuguese opera-singing mother had her own TV show, Michele was raised in New York and London. Yet, she insists, playing Oxford feels like coming home.

Close friends with another sibling musical unit, Robin and Joe Bennett of the band Dreaming Spires, she has collaborated musically with the brothers and has been a regular fixture at Truck, the festival the lads set up in their home village of Steventon, South Oxfordshire. A Truck regular, Michele’s last visit there saw her playing bass in a festival supergroup rendition of the whole of Fleetwood Mac’s classic album Rumours.

“Ah, you saw that?” she says excitedly. “That was great! It was such a good idea to do it and we had such good fun.

“I have known Robin and Joe for a long time,” she goes on. “They first asked us to play the festival when the stage really was on the back of a truck, and we were delighted to go back. We have done a few little things with them since, mostly jamming, but also played on a Gram Parsons project together. I guess our love of music is as strong as theirs.”

When Oxford’s Zodiac club reopened as the Carling Academy after a major re-build, it was The Magic Numbers who played the opening party.

“I like Oxford,” she says. “And it’s going to be great to be back at the Jericho Tavern. I have good memories of great gigs there.”

So what next for The Magic Numbers? “Well, we are recording our next record and plan to release it at the end of next year,” she says.

“It is still the four of us in a room, but we are turning it up to 11. The harmonies are still there but we’ve got a bigger sound with more guitar solos and rockier beats.

“We are one of those bands that was never just a flash in the pan. We are in it for the long run. And while it’s nice to go away and do other things it’s nice for us to get back together again.”

And are the familial ties still as strong? After all, surely even the closest siblings squabble? “We’ve kind of got used to it,” she laughs. “In fact it’s strange not being with Romeo.

“We’ve obviously grown up together and know each other well. So while we can leave each other alone, we are always there for each other.”

And, for now, she is happy doing her own thing. “I am still on the road with my bass,” she says, “But now someone else is playing it! The shows have been fun and the audiences have been really attentive.”

It seems she has found the perfect balance. “I am in a happy place,” she agrees. “It’s been a huge thing for me to get these songs out and finally be able to do this, but it’s a good feeling. And I’ve already got two more albums-worth of songs I want to record,” she smiles.

“I just hope people want to hear them!”

  • Michele Stodart plays the Jericho Tavern, Walton Street, Oxford, next Thursday. Tickets are £8 from www.wegottickets.com
  • Before the show, Michele will perform at The Truck Store in Cowley Road. Contact the shop for details. Album Wide-Eyed Crossing, is out now.