Isobel Campbell has worn any number of hats over the course of her remarkable decade and a half in music, from her stint as cellist and vocalist with Scottish indie-pop faves Belle and Sebastian to her role as bandleader in the Gentle Waves to her work as duet partner, arranger and producer on a series of acclaimed albums with former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan.

Yet when it came to making her latest effort, a typically gorgeous collection of atmospheric roots tunes titled Hawk, Campbell says she felt most like she was wearing another hat entirely: that of movie director.

"Some of my favorite bands are all about four guys in a room playing together," says the singer, who produced the album herself in a variety of locations, including Los Angeles, Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Denmark and her native Glasgow. "But I guess things are a bit more complicated with me, where I kind of assemble these groups of players to execute the things I'm hearing in my head." Campbell laughs. "The older I get the more I enjoy the behind-the-scenes work in the studio, putting in ridiculously stupid hours with my engineers. I just love how everyone pitches in together."

On Hawk--a word Campbell treasures for its symbolism and dual identities as both noun and verb--her co-conspirators include longtime partner Lanegan, who lends his distinctive blues-folk growl to eight of the album's 13 tracks; the young American singer Willy Mason; and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, who contributes a dizzying dustbowl solo to "You Won't Me Let Down Again," one of a pair of tunes here co-written by Campbell and Jim McCulloch of the Soup Dragons.

"When I'm imagining these sounds, I almost feel like it's my responsibility to make sure they happen in the real world," she says. "I don't think anyone else could do it in a way that seems right to me, you know? I'm sure when I get everyone together, they're all thinking, `Oh my God, what's she getting me to do?'"

Beyond Campbell's movie-like working method, Hawk bears out the singer's invocation of the film world with lovingly arranged songs that conjure up visual scenes out of pure sound: a hopped-up honky-tonk in the rollicking "Get Behind Me," for example, or a lonely West Texas landscape in a bare-bones cover of "No Place to Fall" by the late Townes Van Zandt. In "Come Undone," meanwhile, Campbell and Lanegan layer their haunting harmonies over a string-enhanced doo-wop groove straight out of some phantom high-school sock hop.

Though their partnership dates back to 2006, when they released the Mercury Prize-nominated Ballad of the Broken Seas, Campbell says that her and Lanegan's artistic process has stayed largely the same over the intervening years. "Mark doesn't really change too much," she explains with a knowing chuckle. "When we're in the studio he always turns around to me and says, `I trust you to do all the heavy lifting.'"

Still, Campbell is quick to add, the two artists' relationship has definitely matured. "We're very different singers, but we're both fans of each other's work," she explains. "So when we first met we were quite enamored with each other. Not that we're not anymore. But I feel a lot more comfortable working with Mark." She laughs. "I'll even ask him to try things I know he doesn't want to!"

First solo album from former Belle & Sebastian singer. Recorded over the course of three years, this album includes collaborations with ex-Vaseline Eugene Kelly, Portisheads Adrian Utley and a 27 piece orchestra. Isobel has also been nominated for the Mercury music prize for her work with Mark Lanegan. Snowstorm. 2006.

US edition of their 2008 album includes five bonus tracks over the previously available imported edition. Bonus tracks, Fight Fire With Fire, Asleep On a Sixpence, Violin Tango, Rambling Rose, Clinging Vine and Hang On. Sunday at Devil Dirt is second full-length collaboration between the former Belle & Sebastian member (Campbell) and Mark Lanegan, the Screaming Trees frontman and part-time QOTSA vocalist. Recorded between studios in the Catskills and Isobel's native Glasgow, Sunday At Devil Dirt is an album of dust bitten ballads and troubled wanderings, easily the equal of its predecessor. Again, Campbell and Lanegan complement each other beautifully, like silk on cracked leather. While continuing to mine the same rich seam of Alt-Country, Folk and Blues of their debut, the new record also embraces a dusty southern gothic, while a sultry, jazzy feel is evident on a number of tracks. As with their debut, the album has been written, produced and arranged by Isobel Campbell, with Lanegan providing lead vocal duties.

There's a certain "beauty & the beast" quality to the greatest male/female, singer/songwriter duos. Consider Jane Birken hooking up with Serge Gainsburg, or Nancy Sintra and Lee Hazelwood. And so it is with "Ballad of the Broken Seas", an album length collaboration between Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.There's a similar contrast between Isobel's aching, pristine chill of a voice and Lanegan's wounded, regret-stewed burr.

There's a certain "beauty & the beast" quality to the greatest male/female, singer/songwriter duos. Consider Jane Birken hooking up with Serge Gainsburg, or Nancy Sintra and Lee Hazelwood. And so it is with "Ballad of the Broken Seas", an album length collaboration between Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan.There's a similar contrast between Isobel's aching, pristine chill of a voice and Lanegan's wounded, regret-stewed burr.

2004 EP from the former Belle & Sebastian member features the title track, 'Time Is Just The Same', her duet with Eugene Kelly (Vaselines), along with six previously unreleased tracks, 'Why Does My Head Hurt So?', 'Bordello Queen', 'Bang Bang', 'The Breeze Whispered Your Name', 'Argomenti', & 'Time Is Just The Same' (video). Cardboard gatefold sleeve. Snowstorm.

Her second solo record, the follow-up to her Mercury Prize-nominated collaboration with Mark Lanegan, "Ballad Of The Broken Seas", finds the former Belle And Sebastian chanteuse and cellist drawing inspiration more from the various folk traditions of the British Isles than the classic country leanings of "Ballad". Still working primarily with guitarist Jim McCulloch (Soup Dragons), Isobel collaborates with James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins and Perfect Circle) and her touring band mate Eugene Kelly (Vaselines, Captain America, Eugenius).

Her second solo record, the follow-up to her Mercury Prize-nominated collaboration with Mark Lanegan, "Ballad Of The Broken Seas", finds the former Belle And Sebastian chanteuse and cellist drawing inspiration more from the various folk traditions of the British Isles than the classic country leanings of "Ballad". Still working primarily with guitarist Jim McCulloch (Soup Dragons), Isobel collaborates with James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins and Perfect Circle) and her touring band mate Eugene Kelly (Vaselines, Captain America, Eugenius).