Camera Obscura have announced Look to the East, Look to the West, their first new album in over 10 years, out May 3rd via Merge Records. Plus, the Scottish indie pop veterans have mapped out a 2024 North American tour and shared the lead single, “Big Love.”
Led by guitarist/vocalist Tracyanne Campbell, Camera Obscura reunited with previous producer Jari Haapalainen (Let’s Get Out of This Country, My Maudlin Career) to record Look to the East, Look to the West. The band had gone on hiatus following the 2015 passing of founding keyboard Carey Lander, but reconnected for Belle & Sebastian’s 2019 Boaty Weekender cruise and a pair of warm-up shows in Glasgow.
Donna Maciocia joined Camera Obscura on keys and vocals for those gigs, and has since become a regular songwriting partner of Campbell’s alongside founding members Kenny McKeeve (guitar and vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson (drums and percussion). Pre-orders for Look to the East, Look to the West are ongoing.
In support of Look to the East, Look to the West, Camera Obscura have mapped out a run of North American tour dates. It kicks off on May 29th in Philadelphia, with subsequent stops in Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, DC before wrapping up on June 20th at New York City’s Webster Hall.
Get Camera Obscura Tickets Here
A Live Nation pre-sale will begin on Thursday, February 1st (use access code ENERGY) ahead of the general on-sale slated for Friday, February 2nd via Ticketmaster.
Find tickets for all of Camera Obscura’s North American dates at StubHub — where orders are 100% guaranteed through StubHub’s FanProtect program — or viagogo for international shows. StubHub is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.
Lead single “Big Love” is a breakup anthem influenced by country and prog rock, with accompaniment by Tim Davidson on pedal steel. On the track, Campbell sings about the all-too-relatable temptation to revisit the past. Stream it below.
“‘Big Love’ is our tribute to Waylon Jennings, with a nod to Sandy Denny and prog rock band Scope,” Campbell said in a press statement. “It’s a song about not looking back, having faith in the present and future.”
Camera Obscura’s last album, Desire Lines, was released in 2013.
Look to the East, Look to the West Artwork:
Look to the East, Look to the West Tracklist:
01. Liberty Print
02. We’re Going to Make It in a Man’s World
03. Big Love
04. Only a Dream
05. The Light Nights
06. Sleepwalking
07. Baby Huey (Hard Times)
08. Denon
09. Pop Goes Pop
10. Sugar Almond
11. Look to the East, Look to the West
Camera Obscura 2024 Tour Dates:
05/02 – Hebden Bridge, UK @ The Trades Club
05/04 – Leeds, UK @ Stylus
05/06 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
05/07 – London, UK @ Koko
05/09 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
05/10 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy 2
05/11 – Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland Ballroom
05/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
05/30 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
05/31 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmont
06/01 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall
06/03 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
06/04 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
06/07 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
06/08 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
06/10 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
06/11 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater
06/12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
06/14 – Dallas, TX @ Studio at the Factory
06/15 – Austin, TX @ Scoot Inn
06/17 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety
06/18 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
06/19 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
06/20 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
06/22-24 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Indie Rocks!