Two brothers plus two sisters gives you The Magic Numbers, and the popular quartet will be at The Glasshouse in Gateshead this January to help banish any lingering early year blues you may be feeling.

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of The Magic Numbers’ self-titled debut album and it remains a high-watermark for lovers of folky alt-rock that tumbles forth with melodic hooks and big, big harmonies. The album went on to sell over a million copies and was duly nominated for the Mercury Prize (ultimately losing out to Antony and the Johnsons ‘I Am a Bird Now’). The album also produced a clutch of classic singles including ‘Forever Lost’, ‘Love me Like You’ and ‘Love is a Game’. The band followed that release up with four other well-received albums, including 2018’s wonderful ‘Outsiders’. They’re currently working on new material. It hardly needs stating that The Magic Numbers are a brilliant live act – they’ve shared stages with everyone from Neil Young to Radiohead, The Flaming Lips to U2 – and the acoustics at The Glasshouse should prove the perfect place to catch them as they hit the road once again. GM

The Magic Numbers, Sunday 26 January, The Glasshouse, Gateshead, 8pm, £28.20, theglasshouseicm.org