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Jan 30, 2024 By Mark Redfern Photography by Robert Perry

Scottish indie-pop band Camera Obscura have announced their first new album in 11 years, Look to the East, Look to the West, and shared its first single, “Big Love,” via a music video. They have also announced some new North American tour dates. Look to the East, Look to the West is due out May 3 via Merge. Below, watch the “Big Love” video and check out the album’s tracklist and cover artwork, as well as the tour dates.

Camera Obscura released their first three albums via Merge, before switching to 4AD for their last two albums. The band haven’t released a new album since 2013’s Desire Lines, in large part due to the tragic and untimely passing due to cancer of founding member and keyboardist Carey Lander in 2015. Last year the band announced their return to Merge and announced some UK tour dates.

Frontwoman Tracyanne Campbell had a side-project, Tracyanne & Danny, with Danny Coughlan, that released a self-titled album in 2018 via Merge.

The band features founding members Tracyanne Campbell (vocals and guitar, Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion), alongside newer member Donna Maciocia (keys and vocals). Maciocia has also become a regular songwriting partner with Campbell.

Jari Haapalainen, who produced Camera Obscura’s 2006 album Let’s Get Out of This Country and 2009’s My Maudlin Career, returned to produce Look to the East, Look to the West, which was recorded in the same room where Queen wrote “Bohemian Rhapsody.” A press release says that the album sees the band somewhat go “back to basics,” with no string or brass arrangements.

The album’s first single, the country-tinged “Big Love,” is described as “a pining break-up anthem” and it features pedal steel playing by Tim Davidson.

“‘Big Love’ is our tribute to Waylon Jennings, with a nod to Sandy Denny and prog rock band Scope,” says Campbell in the press release. “It’s a song about not looking back, having faith in the present and future.”

Read our 2006 interview with Camera Obscura.

Read our 2010 interview with Camera Obscura.

Read our 2010 interview with Camera Obscura’s Tracyanne Campbell on Grease.

Read our 2013 interview with Camera Obscura.

Read our 2013 joint interview between Tracyanne Campbell and Lloyd Cole.

Read our 2014 Artist Survey interview with Carey Lander of Camera Obscura.

Read our 2018 interview with Tracyanne and Danny.

Read our 2020 My Favorite Album interview with Tracyanne Campbell.

Look to the East, Look to the West Tracklist:

1. Liberty Print
2. We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World
3. Big Love
4. Only a Dream
5. The Light Nights
6. Sleepwalking
7. Baby Huey (Hard Times)
8. Denon
9. Pop Goes Pop
10. Sugar Almond
11. Look to the East, Look to the West

Camera Obscura 2024 Tour Dates: Thu. May 2 - Hebden Bridge, UK @ The Trades Club
Sat. May 4 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus
Mon. May 6 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
Tue. May 7 - London, UK @ Koko
Thu. May 9 - Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
Fri. May 10 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 2
Sat. May 11 - Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
Wed. May 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Thu. May 30 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Fri. May 31 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmont
Sat. Jun. 1 - Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
Mon. Jun. 3 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Tue. Jun. 4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
Fri. Jun. 7 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
Sat. Jun. 8 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Mon. Jun. 10 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Tue. Jun. 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
Wed. Jun. 12 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Fri. Jun. 14 - Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory
Sat. Jun. 15 - Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
Mon. Jun. 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety
Tue. Jun. 18 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Wed. Jun. 19 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Thu. Jun. 20 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sat. Jun. 22-Mon. Jun 24 - Mexico City, MX @ Foro Indie Rocks!

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