Irish pop group The Corrs has announced a new album and tour after returning to the stage following a 10-year hiatus – but the members say it feels like they have never been away.

Irish siblings Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim played London’s Hyde Park on Sunday and have quickly followed it up with plans to play eight concerts across the UK and Ireland.

The quartet also announced the release of album White Light – their first major release since Borrowed Heaven in 2004.

Speaking after a short set in Ronnie Scott’s in London’s Soho at lunchtime, where they played a mix of old and new tracks, Sharon said: “We never sort of decided to stop or quit as a band. We’ve had eight children between us in the meantime, so that kind of takes up 10 years, so I think we were sort of entitled to it after 15 years of being on the road.”

She added: “But music is part of the fabric of us. It is absolutely who we are. This is what we do, so it’s not really a revelation from that point of view if you know what I mean. This is what we do so we’re just doing it.”

Speaking about their Hyde Park appearance, Andrea said: “I was absolutely terrified for about two weeks before it. But then once we got on and did it, it felt like we’d never been away to be honest and we’d never had a bit of time free and definitely ignited our excitement about touring again and now we’re really excited about playing our new songs. So it kind of has kicked us off in a very good way.”

Known for their beauty as well as their music, the group was asked about how they do not look like they have aged in the last decade.

Andrea joked that they all go home at night and “put our faces in a little jar” while Sharon joked that they had been “cryogenically frozen” for the last 10 years.

The group has sold over 30 million albums since their 1995 debut Forgiven Not Forgotten. They are known for their unique sound which is a mix of traditional Celtic music with a pop rock twist.

White Light is out on November 27.