CAMERA OBSCURA PICTURE PERFECT Despite the worldwide, pop-fuelled success of Camera Obscura's third LP, 'Let's Get Out This Country', the Scottish six-piece aren't getting complacent. As vocalist Trancyanne Campbell explains on the eve of their world tour, 2007 could prove a make or break year. While a bad phoneline combined with a thick Scottish accent aren't ideal factors for an interview, talking to Campbell as she waits to start Camera Obscura's six-week marathon tour is still a treat. By the time the band hits Australia later this month they will already have completed the North American leg of the tour. Indeed, their fame has spread far and wide since the infectious melodies of 'Lefts Get Out...' hit our ears mid-last year. "I think it's been our most important year so far, and our most successful," explains Campbell. "We just hope to build on it really. I think I thought it was going to be the ultimate year for us and it was really going to determine a lot, but actually I think that 2007 is going to be that year... We're quite happy to take everything at the pace that it's going and try our best and see what happens." The band will play a string of solo shows whilst down under, however, it's the Laneway Festival - where they share the bill with American indie veterans Yo La Tengo - that has really got Camera Obscura excited. "They're one of my favourite bands actually," confesses Campbell quietly. "Basically I think they've just got a fantastic ear for melody. They're good musicians but they're also good songwriters and good people, they're not up their own backsides, they're quite humble and have got good stamina. They've never tried to be cool, they're just doing what they do because they like it... I guess we're along the same lines." Despite drawing that comparison, Campbell is quick to emphasize that the band doesn't strive to be anything that they're not. In fact, plans are already underway for their next record and fans can expect more of the band's winning formula. "We're not really the type of band to have great big concepts or albums or anything like that," she says rather humbly. "We're just six people and we play together. It's not intelligent music, it's just whatever. We don't sit there and think about how we're going to make an album sound. It's really accidental half the time." Natalie Arnull Camera Obscura play The Troubadour on Thursday February 22 and The Laneway Festival on Saturday March 3. 'Lets Get Out This Country' is out now through Popfrenzy. back to top ^

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