Glasgow's Camera Obscura recently canceled a handful of tour dates originally scheduled for California and Mexico in order to accommodate their keyboardist Carey Lander who is currently battling, Osteosarcoma, an "aggressive" bone cancer according to Billboard. Diagnosed with the devastating disease in 2011, Lander's current state has forced the band to "shelve all work commitments for the time being."
"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," front woman Tracyanne Campbell posted on the group's official Facebook page earlier this week. Per Campbell's statement, the band aims to make up for the cancellations at a later date yet to be determined.
The outfit's keyboardist reflected on her ongoing fight against cancer on a Just Giving page set up to raise donations for the charity Sarcoma UK. "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," Lander stated.
Known for their Spector-esque ballads like "French Navy" and "Eighties Fan," the indie pop six piece's most recent studio album Desire Lines along with their more recent 4AD Sessions EP showcased the band's prowess for pairing bittersweet lyricism with maudlin melodies. For over a decade, Camera Obscura has consistently kept fans craving for more, despite limited touring. Perhaps, the recent change in schedule will only increase the dedication and support of their fan base.
Although the band's news is somber, perhaps now is the perfect time for fans, old and new, to revisit their expansive discography, which began with the forever-memorable Biggest Bluest HI-Fi. In the meantime, details related to the band's future projects have yet to be revealed.
Watch "Desire Lines" from their 4AD Sessions EP below:
