With nearly four years having passed since their 4AD debut, Camera Obscura will release their new album Desire Lines on Friday 31 May via 4AD / Rhythmethod.

Camera Obscura officially marked their return with an intimate charity fundraiser in their hometown of Glasgow. Warming up for a run of shows at SXSW in Austin in a few weeks time, they also used it as a chance to play some new tracks for the very first time and to announce that a new album was on the way.

The new album was recorded last December when the band decamped to Portland to work with GRAMMY nominated producer Tucker Martine (R.E.M., Spoon, My Morning Jacket) and pleased with the progress they made there, they returned a month later to finish it.

Tracyanne Campbell from the band, “Of all our records this was pretty much the most challenging to write, partly because of the situation we found ourselves in with having to take such a long and uncertain amount of time out, but also because it would be record number five and we were getting harder and harder to please.

Working in the US with southern gentleman Tucker Martine was a positive experience. He brought a certain calmness to recording that wasn’t there before. We were also delighted to have Neko Case and Jim James sing on the record too. What a treat.”

Camera Obscura Desire Lines is out Friday 31 May via 4AD / Rhythmethod.