Camera Obscura - Tracyanne Campbell Interview

by Tina Whelski

If you missed Camera Obscura last time they played New York City, make sure you catch them this visit. After a year of performing their third album, Let’s Get Out Of This Country, the Glasgow indie rock band’s beautiful, bright melodies and snappy hooks are tighter than ever. And, soon they’ll be moving on to write a new album. Then you won’t get to hear all of these gems packed into one set list. So enjoy the big sounds of “Razzle Dazzle Rose,” the danceable “If Looks Could Kill” (the band’s “I Will Survive”) and my favorite, “Tears For Affairs,” while you can.

The band, Tracyanne Campbell (vocals, guitars), Gavin Dunbar (bass), Lee Thomson (drums), Kenny McKeeve (guitars, vocals), Nigel Baillie (trumpet, percussion), and Carey Lander (piano, organ, vocals) worked with acclaimed producer Jari Haapalainen (The Concretes, Ed Harcourt, Nicolai Dunger, International (Noise) Conspiracy) to bring out their best on this album. Front-woman Tracyanne Campbell talked to me about Let’s Get Out Of This Country.

How did the band approach the album?

We were very positive, more so than ever before. We were confidant we hadenough good songs and that we could play them well enough and that we had chosen the right producer to bring out their and our best.

What inspires you to write?

Mainly unhappiness in truth. It's a downer I know and I should maybe try to write when I'm feeling positive, but those times are few and far between these days. I've been challenged to write a love song. My friend says I haven’t written one yet. We’ll see how it goes.

Talk about a few songs from Let’s Get Out Of This Country?

“Country Mile” was written on the way home from my first ever trip to Sweden. It was an important trip for me and I guess on the way home I knew I was a changed person somehow because of the time I had there. The words and melody were written by the time I got home to Glasgow. I sung the melody into my mobile phone in the van while the others put their fingers in their ears and wrote the words in my notebook. It's kinda about falling for someone and knowing you're gonna miss them before you even get the chance to properly. I'm a pessimist.
The lyrics to “Dory Previn” were written while touring the USA the first time. I was trying to cope with the break down of a relationship. I had a bit of clarity regarding the whole thing while traveling through Montana listening to Dory Previn. I was trying to convince myself that life can be good if you only let it.Is there one that’s a favorite to play and why? I don't really have a favorite but I guess it's nice when audiences sing along to “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken” or “80's Fan.”

Bands often talk about how songs change meaning after performing them for a while. Has that happened to you?

Not really, but I am ready to put it [this record] to bed soon and start another. It’s only natural that we should feel that way. We’ve been playing these songs for over a year now.

What’s next for Camera Obscura?

We have a few more festivals to play along with a small tour of the statesand Canada, then a new album will be recorded hopefully by the end of the year. That’s the plan at least.

Camera Obscura performs August 24 at the Seaport Music Festival.

Watch Camera Obscura perform "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken."



and "Let's Get Out Of This Country."



Interview originally published in The Aquarian Weekly (August 22, 2007).