Gotland is limestone country. Gravel roads appear white in the bright sunshine, which shimmers on the water’s surface as if it were dancing on the Mediterranean rather than the Baltic. Encased in stone you can find the fossilised plants and animals that called Gotland home over 400 million years ago. Magnificent sea stacks line the coast and reach for the sky like psychedelic mushrooms. These natural towers, and the stunning cliffs that keep them company, form the unique silhouette of Gotland’s landscape – a landscape immortalised in film by none other than the late, great Ingmar Bergman. Over the years Gotland’s inspirational atmosphere, majestic light and powerful allure has attracted artists, authors, politicians and filmmakers in need of creative nourishment.

"To Swedes, Gotland’s landscape is so different from that found on the mainland. But this is what draws people here. When you’re presented with a foreign landscape, you perceive things differently. It becomes easier to lose your preconceived notions of how things should be”, explains Amanda.

As well as inspiring musicians and filmmakers, Gotland has a strong connection to the world of literature. For many years writers have rented cottages here, which they use as both a source of inspiration and a place of solitude. To write a novel or compose a poem isn’t just about setting words on a page. It’s about the art of listening and observing the world around you, while having the patience and emotional tools at your disposal to realise your vision. For Amanda, Gotland provides all of these things and she uses songwriting as a way of discovering more about herself.

“Music becomes my own personal therapist in a way. When a song is finished, I find myself in a completely different place to where I was when I started writing it. My music allows me to examine a different part of myself. This is why I find songwriting so rewarding. It can take you from one place to another – both physically and mentally."