Camera Obscura keyboardist Carey Lander has died

Camera Obscura keyboard player and vocalist Carey Lander has died following a battle with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer.

The band announced the news earlier today (October 11) via their official Facebook page: “It is with the greatest sadness, that we must share the news that Carey passed away peacefully this morning after her illness with cancer,” they posted. “We have lost our friend and band mate, and our deepest sympathy goes out to her partner Kenny, and to all her family and friends.”

The four remaining full-time members of the Scottish indie pop group – Tracyanne Campbell, Gavin Dunbar, Kenny McKeeve and Lee Thomson – said they were ‘touched’ by fans’ recent support of Lander’s fundraising campaign for Sarcoma UK. They have encouraged people to continue to donate and will continue to promote the campaign on her behalf.

“She was left in no doubt how much you all loved and appreciated her, and we’d like to thank you all for the support and kind words you have been sending to us and her,” they added. “The band, our music, and all of you who have enjoyed it over the years, meant so much to her.”

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Lander joined the band in 2002, playing on all four of their subsequent albums. She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in 2011. Though Lander had continued to perform with the group, the decision was made in August to cancel planned shows in California and Mexico to allow her time off to continue her fight.

“It’s probably too late to help me,” she wrote via her JustGiving page, “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.”

“I’ve been quite fortunate in that I have been able to have periods of living something of a normal life in the last 4 years and to continue playing with Camera Obscura. Being able to record the album we had started working on before my diagnosis, and to travel and play shows again has been amazing, and I’m very grateful to everyone that’s bought out records, come to our concerts or supported us in some way.

“Sadly, my illness is here tripping me up again and I feel like it’s time to tell people a bit more about it and see if I can raise a bit of cash to help others in a similar situation.”