Camera Obscura profile picture

Camera Obscura

the biggest trousers and the skinniest hair

About Me

Welcome to the official page for Camera Obscura, maintained by the band.
Camera Obscura have been making music for a decade, carried through the ups and downs of various line-up changes and the tender pain of daily life by the sweetly sad voice of Tracyanne Campbell. Their greatest achievement to date is arguably the critically acclaimed 2006 album Let’s Get Out Of This Country.
Let’s Get Out Of This Country showcased the band’s ability to produce quality heartfelt pop that can sail unselfconsciously through six impassioned choruses in Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, alongside the stark, sweeping wails of Country Mile.The album was made in Stockholm and was ably enhanced by the production magic of Sweden’s Jari Haapalainen, who was more than qualified to indulge the band’s enthusiasm for reverb.
The release of the album was supported by extensive touring through the UK, Europe, North America, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and has seen Camera Obscura develop from a somewhat timid live proposition into a confident, dynamic and hopefully charming spectacle.
Camera Obscura’s back catalogue is also a haven of treasures well worth investigation, featuring along the way the talents of Belle and Sebastian’s Richard drumming on early EP Park and Ride, the aforementioned Stuart Murdoch’s production sheen on Eighties Fan, and the many dulcet outings of erstwhile members John Henderson and David Skirving. A full discography can be found on their official website at www.camera-obscura.net

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/5/2005
Band Website: camera-obscura.net
Band Members:

Tracyanne Campbell - Vocals, Guitars

Gavin Dunbar - Bass

Lee Thomson - Drums

Kenny McKeeve - Guitars, Vocals

Nigel Baillie - Trumpet, Percussion

Carey Lander - Piano, Organ, Vocals

Here is what the band think of themselves...
Influences: Richard Hawley...M.Ward...Yo La Tengo...Lloyd Cole...Dion...Dory Previn...The Everly Brothers...El Perro Del Mar...Sandy Posey...Judy Sills...Skeeter Davis...Joe Meek...Sheena Easton...Phil Spector...Diana Ross and the Supremes...Velvet Underground...Bread...Spector...Led Zepplin...Belle and Sebastian...Cat Power...Neko Case...Jens Lekman...Jari Haapalainen...David Lynch...Twin Peaks...Nina Simone...Joe Meek...The Elected...Paul Simon...Colin Blunstone...John Martyn...The Faces...Bob Dylan...Carly Simon...Elvis...New Order...Fleetwood Mac...Joy Division...Mamas and Papas...MC5...Arthur Alexander...The Pastels...Teenage Fanclub...Bonnie Prince Billie...Graham Nash...My Morning Jacket...Rosanne Cash...NRBQ...Aislers Set...Nancy Sinatra...Lee Hazlewood...Ricky Nelson...The Lovin Spoonful...Connie Francis...Tracy Thorn...Ben Watt...Mike Leigh...Bob Lind...Ken Loach...Almadovar
Sounds Like: that old chesnut
Record Label: Elefant (Europe), Merge (US), Popfrenzy (Aus)
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

The Big Tuckshop in the Sky.

The Big Tuckshop in the Sky. A snapshot.Or Why I Hate Flying. I have turned into a disturbed autistic hunchback, bent over with my hands over my ears in a stubborn clamp and my elbows holding a book...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 03:26:00 PST

culture and that

Hello blog fansJust wanted to draw your wandering attention to this radio documentary which was broadcast on radio 2 recently and features the winsome wisdom of our very own Tracyanne Campbell and tal...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:23:00 PST

Superstition aint the way

It was a late one last night in the overdub studio&I think our man Jari thought we would have the stamina for an all nighter. Needless to say we didn't but we did more than an average shift. Brilliant...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Fri, 30 May 2008 07:56:00 PST

Grand!

It's after 11pm Swedish time and we're still in the studio. We're supposed to finish at 10pm because the Studio is in a residential area and the people upstairs probably want to get to their beds, or ...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Fri, 23 May 2008 02:20:00 PST

Bliss and Blisters

Most of us are feeling delicate today. As my esteemed colleague has mentioned, we had a little celebration last night at the very near completion of all the live tracks. I celebrated with extra gusto,...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Fri, 23 May 2008 10:55:00 PST

A Good Shoeing. Day Four

Listened to all the songs. All the live versions are finished. The final song recorded is my favourite. It jerked my tears. I have somehow managed to complete recording all the basic tracks with no d...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Thu, 22 May 2008 01:50:00 PST

Nesta: Day Three

Another day another dollar, as they say. We're on our lunch break after getting another couple of songs down, and we're in the middle of recording "Homey in the Sun". Jari keeps telling us we should b...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Wed, 21 May 2008 10:30:00 PST

Day Two

Hello,i'm sitting in between takes, suited and booted (it is work after all) on day two of the sessions for the new record. Its all go, after an age of rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing (the three R'...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Tue, 20 May 2008 09:26:00 PST

City of Plans. Day One.

Day one. Monday 19th.We're away away, the flight is flown. A return to the days of suitcase bruises on thighs.The band are in Stockholm on the first day of work on the new album. We celebrated Tracya...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Tue, 20 May 2008 06:28:00 PST

The Last Tycoon

Hola Chicas y Chicos,Our good friend Peter Morén from top Swedish pop stars Peter, Bjorn and John has just released a fantastic solo album. In celebration of this, Peter is on da road and I've been lu...
Posted by Camera Obscura on Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:47:00 PST