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Aug 21, 2015 Camera Obscura By Christopher Roberts

Sad news from the Camera Obscura camp. The Scottish band, Under the Radar favorites, have been forced to cancel their planned October shows in Mexico and California because keyboardist Carey Lander’s fight with bone cancer is ongoing and she has to have more treatments. The band announced this on their Facebook page, with singer Tracyanne Campbell explaining: “We’re really sad to disappoint our fans but I’m sure everyone will understand that Carey’s health needs to come first at this time. We hope we can come back one day and play for you.”

Lander has launched a Just Giving page to raise money for the charity Sarcoma UK, which focuses on Lander’s particular type of cancer. Please go there and donate. Here is Lander’s statement on the Just Giving page in which she explains her type of cancer and how it has impacted her life:

“In 2011 I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in my leg. It’s an aggressive form of bone cancer that’s treated with a very harsh regime of chemotherapy and surgery or possible amputation of the affected limb. Particularly horribly, it’s a cancer that most commonly occurs in children and because of its rarity, receives scarce attention or funding and there has been very little in the way of new treatments developed in the last 30 years. It’s probably too late to help me, but it would be great if we could find something in the future that means children don’t have to undergo such awful treatment and have a better chance of survival.

I’ve been quite fortunate in that I have been able to have periods of living something of a normal life in the last 4 years and to continue playing with Camera Obscura. Being able to record the album we had started working on before my diagnosis, and to travel and play shows again has been amazing, and I’m very grateful to everyone that’s bought out records, come to our concerts or supported us in some way. Sadly, my illness is here tripping me up again and I feel like it’s time to tell people a bit more about it and see if I can raise a bit of cash to help others in a similar situation. I’m hugely grateful for any donations you feel like making. Thank you.”

Read our somewhat recent 2014 Artist Survey interview with Lander. The band’s most recent album was 2013’s excellent Desire Lines. Below watch the fun 1970s sci-fi channeling video for Desire Lines cut “Troublemaker.”

Our thoughts go out to Lander, her family, and the band. We wish her a speedy recovery and the best of health.

(Via Pitchfork)