Camera Obscura

Biography

Camera Obscura are a Scottish indie pop band from Glasgow. The group formed in 1996, and have released six studio albums to date. Led by primary singer and songwriter Tracyanne Campbell, the band consists of guitarist/vocalist Kenny McKeeve, bassist Gavin Dunbar, and drummer Lee Thomson. Following the death of long-serving keyboardist Carey Lander, the band went on hiatus from 2015 to 2018. After reuniting in 2019 and adding Donna Maciocia as a permanent member, Camera Obscura released their first new album in 11 years, Look to the East, Look to the West×Look to the East, Look to the West3 May 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Liberty Print5:142We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World4:173Big Love2:584Only a Dream4:255The Light Nights4:336Sleepwalking3:417Baby Huey (Hard Times)3:218Denon3:349Pop Goes Pop4:3310Sugar Almond3:4211Look to the East, Look to the West4:26, to critical acclaim.
The band's music has been frequently described as "twee pop", and garnered comparisons to fellow Scottish band Belle and Sebastian. The band have also been praised for their "honest, wide, and adult approach to heartbreak, romantic liaisons, and escapism".

History

Camera Obscura were formed in 1996 by Tracyanne Campbell, John Henderson and Gavin Dunbar. Several other members performed with the band before David Skirving joined as a permanent guitarist. Their first releases were the singles "Park and Ride×Park and Ride1997 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAPark and RideBSwimming Pool" and "Your Sound×Your Sound14 December 1998 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Your Sound3:332Autumn Tides3:313Annawaltzerpose3:24" in 1998. The band's line-up changed in 2000 and 2001 when Lee Thomson joined as its permanent drummer, Lindsay Boyd joined as a keyboard player, and Skirving left and was replaced by Kenny McKeeve.
Camera Obscura's first album, Biggest Bluest Hi Fi, was released in 2001. The tracks Eighties Fan and Anti-Western were produced by Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian and was supported by John Peel. The first single from the album, "Eighties Fan×Eighties Fan25 June 2001 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Eighties Fan4:232Shine Like a New Pin3:383Let's Go Bowling2:49", came in at number eight in the Festive Fifty in 2001, and charted in several independent music charts.

Carey Lander era

Nigel Baillie joined the band as a trumpeter and percussionist in 2002 and Carey Lander replaced Boyd. In the summer of 2002, Peel asked the band to do their first Peel session.

The band's second album, Underachievers Please Try Harder×Underachievers Please Try Harder15 September 2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Suspended From Class3:462Keep It Clean3:163A Sisters Social Agony3:594Teenager3:415Before You Cry2:596Your Picture3:097Number One Son4:078Let Me Go Home3:359Books Written for Girls5:1410Knee Deep at the NPL5:1111Lunar Sea4:56, was released in 2003 and was followed by Camera Obscura's first full tour of Great Britain and Ireland and the band's first tour of the United States. Founding member John Henderson left Camera Obscura following this tour. In early 2004 the band recorded the songs "I Love My Jean×I Love My Jean15 February 2005 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksAI Love My Jean3:45B1Marathon Not a Sprint3:12B2A Red, Red Rose2:08" and "Red, Red Rose" following their third Peel session, in which Peel had asked them to put these poems by Robert Burns to music.
Camera Obscura recorded their third album, Let's Get Out of This Country, in Sweden over the course of two weeks with producer Jari Haapalainen. The album was released on 6 June 2006. The first single, "Lloyd, I'm Ready to Be Heartbroken", is an answer song to Lloyd Cole and the Commotions' song "Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken?"; it appears during the opening credits of the 2007 film, P.S. I Love You. The title song was featured in episode 5 of Friday Night Lights.
In February 2009 the band announced they had signed with 4AD. The new album, My Maudlin Career×My Maudlin Career20 April 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1French Navy3:192The Sweetest Thing4:233You Told a Lie3:454Away With Murder4:085Swans4:096James3:507Careless Love4:358My Maudlin Career4:199Forests and Sands4:1610Other Towns and Cities3:5911Honey in the Sun5:45, was released in April 2009, and preceded by the first single "French Navy×French Navy13 April 2009 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAFrench Navy3:17BThe World Is Full of Strangers3:07". London-based jewellery brand Tatty Devine created brooches and necklaces to coincide with the launch. The album was the band's first UK Top 40 success, and it also reached the top 40 in Ireland and the US Billboard 200. Around this time, the band announced that "due to family commitments (including being a proud dad) Nigel will no longer be a full time member of Camera Obscura".
On 18 April 2009, Camera Obscura released a special edition Record Store Day 7" called "French Navy" for independent record stores. "French Navy" was also used by Echo Falls, who are the sponsors of Come Dine with Me, at the start of each episode and during commercial breaks. Their album Desire Lines×Desire Lines3 June 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Intro0:302This Is Love (Feels Alright)3:303Troublemaker4:274William’s Heart4:075New Year’s Resolution5:356Do It Again3:177Cri du cœur4:138Every Weekday4:109Fifth in Line to the Throne4:2710I Missed Your Party4:2611Break It to You Gently3:4812Desire Lines4:22 was produced by Tucker Martine and released by 4AD on 3 June 2013.
In 2015, the band cancelled planned gigs in North America due to the illness of Carey Lander. She was first diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2011. She announced in 2015 that it had returned. Lander set up a JustGiving page for Sarcoma UK in order to raise awareness to the illness and lack of funding for research and treatment, and as of August 2024, the sum of donations is over £103,000. Carey Lander died on 11 October 2015.
In May 2018, while Campbell was promoting the self-titled debut album of Tracyanne & Danny, her new project with Danny Coughlan, she noted that she still kept in touch with the other members of Camera Obscura in the wake of Lander's passing, but the future of the band remained undiscussed. The song "Alabama" from the Tracyanne & Danny album is Campbell's tribute to Lander.

2018 return

On 5 September 2018, Camera Obscura returned to live performance as part of the Boaty Weekender, a cruise festival curated by Belle & Sebastian sailing from Barcelona to Cagliari on 8–12 August 2019. Prior to participating in the Boaty Weekender, the band announced a warm-up show at Saint Luke's & The Winged Ox in Glasgow on 5 August with proceeds donated to the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in memory of Carey Lander. After tickets for the show were sold out, the band added a second date with proceeds also being donated. For these shows and the Boaty Weekender, the band brought in Donna Maciocia, formerly of Amplifico, to accompany the band on keyboards and backing vocals.
The band confirmed in May 2020 that they were preparing a new album, but had been forced to delay recording it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 23 April 2022, the band released a new compilation album, Making Money, containing "hard-to-find B-sides", covers, a session recording and two remixes. The release was dedicated to the memory of previous band member Carey Lander
On 15 November 2023, the band announced 2024 tour dates, adding there would be "some new music" in support of it. In January 2024, the band announced their sixth studio album Look to the East, Look to the West×Look to the East, Look to the West3 May 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Liberty Print5:142We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World4:173Big Love2:584Only a Dream4:255The Light Nights4:336Sleepwalking3:417Baby Huey (Hard Times)3:218Denon3:349Pop Goes Pop4:3310Sugar Almond3:4211Look to the East, Look to the West4:26. It was released on 3 May 2024. To coincide with the announcement, the album's lead single "Big Love×Big Love1 February 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Big Love2:58" was released.

Current members

Tracyanne Campbell – lead vocals, guitar (1996–2015, 2018–present), percussion (1996–2004)
Gavin Dunbar – bass (1996–2015, 2018–present)
Lee Thomson – drums (2000–2015, 2018–present)
Kenny McKeeve – guitar, backing vocals (2001–2015, 2018–present)
Donna Maciocia – keyboards, backing vocals (2023–present; touring musician 2019)

Former members

John Henderson – lead and backing vocals, percussion (1996–2004)
David Skirving – guitar, backing vocals (1998–2001)
Richard Colburn – drums (1998–2000)
Lindsay Boyd – keyboards (2000–2002)
Nigel Baillie – trumpet, percussion (2002–2009)
Carey Lander – piano, keyboards, backing vocals (2002–2015; died 2015)

Former touring musicians

Frànçois Marry – trumpet, percussion, guitar (2003–2009)

Compilations and EPs

Rare UK Bird (December 1999, Quattro) Japan-only
4AD Sessions EP (19 April 2014, 4AD) Record Store Day
Making Money (23 April 2022, 4AD) Record Store Day

Other contributions

Acoustic 07 (2007, V2 Records) – "Let's Get Out of This Country"
The Saturday Sessions: The Dermot O'Leary Show (2007, EMI) – "Super Trouper"