Camera Obscura are a band hailing from Glasgow, Scotland who formed in 1996. They have released five studio albums since their debut in 1998 and have made a reputation for themselves as one of the most beloved cult acts in Scottish indie rock.
Formed by singer/guitarist Tracyanne Campbell, percussionist/singer John Henderson and bassist Gavin Dunbar, Camera Obscura were releasing their early singles on miniscule Glaswegian indie labels before they’d even settled on a full time line-up. After David Skirving joined the band on lead guitar, the band released their first two singles “Park And Ride” and “Your Sound” in 1998. These singles made them a respected name in the Scottish indie scene right off the bat, but the band wouldn’t release any other material until 2001. Their singles and live shows had given them a high profile fan in the form of Belle And Sebastien singer Stuart Murdoch, and he lent his considerable talents to them by producing their debut album “Biggest Bluest Hi Fi” that year.
The album was a huge cult hit, garnering the support of Radio One legend John Peel and appearing in several end of year “Best-Of” lists. In 2003, the band’s second album “Underachievers Please Try Harder” was followed by their first full tours of Britain, Ireland and the United States, all countries that would fall for Camera Obscura’s immense amount of charm within the next few years. In fact, in 2009 the band’s fourth album “My Maudlin Career” shot into the top forty of the first two country’s album charts on the first week of release. Ever since then, the band have remained one of the most beloved cult acts of their generation, taking their literate, tender indie rock into sold out concert halls all over the world.
