The frontwoman and lead singer of the award-winning 90s band looks the same 22 years later (Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

'90s indie band frontwoman Isobel Campbell looks much the same now as she did at the height of her former group's success more than 20 years ago.

Campbell, now 48, joined indie darlings Belle and Sebastian in 1996, aged just 19, after was founded by Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David.

At the time, the Scottish indie pop group also consisted of guitarist Stevie Jackson, keyboardist Chris Geddes and drummer Richard Colburn in their original six-piece lineup.

Since then, the band has recorded 12 studio albums and enjoyed critical success along the way, although their avoidance of widespread promotional activity has kept their popularity low-key despite a passionate fan base.

They did, however, win the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act in 1999, beating the likes of Steps, Five and Billie Piper.

Belle and Sebastian also appeared on the soundtrack of the 2007 hit independent film Juno, as well as gaining recognition in films such as High Fidelity and (500) Days of Summer, with their song The Boy with the Arab Strap being used as the end credits song for Bafta-nominated TV series Teachers.

Isabel Campbell in 2006

Isobel Campbell was a singer and cellist in the original line-up of Belle and Sebastian (Photo: Hayley Madden/Rex/Shutterstock)
Belle and Sebastian won outstanding British honors at the 1999 Brit Awards, over Steps and Five (Photo: Getty)
Chris Geddes, Richard Colburn, Mick Cooke, Stevie Jackson, Sarah Martin, Bobby Kildea and Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian in 2006, four years after Campbell's departure (Photo: Getty)
Campbell went on to a successful solo career, collaborating with names like Mark Lanegan, from Queen of the Stone Ages (Photo: Nils Jorgensen/Rex/Shutterstock)

Campbell, however, chose to leave Belle and Sebastian in 2002, to pursue a solo career and a new life in Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

The singer and cellist collaborated with Snow Patrol in 1998, providing vocals for the song NYC on their debut album, Songs for Polarbears.

She also released two solo albums in 1999 and 2000 under the stage name The Gentle Waves, as well as an EP of Billie Holliday songs with Scottish jazz musician Bill Wells.

The following year, his first solo album since leaving Belle & Sebastian, Amorino, was released, which was also the first under his own name.

Her fourth solo album, Milkwhite Sheets, was released in 2006, and after a long break due to record label issues, she released There Is No Other in 2020.

The lead singer of 90s indie band has barely aged a day, Isobel Campbell

Later, the singer moved to Los Angeles and continued making music, with a new album released next month (Photo: Instagram/@isobelcampbellmusic)
She is instantly recognizable 20 years later (Photo: Instagram/@isobelcampbellmusic)
New album Bow To Love represents a return after problems with the record company (Photo: Instagram/@isobelcampbellmusic)

In the meantime, she moved to the West Coast of the United States with her husband and collaborator, recording engineer Chris Szczech.

She also began a professional partnership with the late American singer Mark Lanegan, formerly of Queens of the Stone Age and Screaming Trees.

Their 2006 album together, Ballad of the Broken Seas, was shortlisted for that year's Mercury Music Prize, and they released two more albums before his shocking death in February 2022 at age 57.

Still making music now, Campbell's new album Bow To Love is set for release on May 17th, with the single Everything Falls Apart released earlier this month.

The lead track, 4316, was released in February when she announced the album.

“The album is about where we are all right now, and my response to that and my life as a microcosm within that,” she explained in a statement at the time.

'I think there's a quote from A Course in Miracles that says, “Love brings to the surface all that is different from itself for the purpose of healing and liberation.”

“Maybe these horrible things are coming out so we can get rid of them and things can get better.”

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