Erland Cooper has completed an ode to his native Orkney Islands under the name The Magnetic North. There’s something strange, indefinable about Orkney. The vast history of the islands suffuses the culture of the area, with even the place names have an enduring poetry. Hailing from Orkney, songwriter Erland Cooper recently decided to return home. Roping in Erland & The Carnival band mate Simon Cooper and fellow artist Hannah Peel, the trio began constructing material for The Magnetic North. Laced with classical textures, folk roots and more the project has resulted in new album ‘Orkney: Symphony Of The Magnetic North’. Seemingly inspired by a dream, there is a definite sense of the uncanny running through the material. A quote from Erland Cooper: “When someone comes to you in a dream and tells you to make an album about your homeland – the Orkney islands- would you disregard it? Especially when that someone is Betty Corrigall, the Orcadian girl who in the 1770′s killed herself having been cast out by her village after becoming pregnant by a visiting sailor?” Recorded in Stromness, ‘Orkney: Symphony Of The Magnetic North’ carries a unique sense of place. Inspired by the history, geography and culture of the islands, the album is a beautiful document in its own right. “We have endeavoured to serve Betty and tried to produce the record that she had in mind to the best of our ability,” say the trio. “We hope she is pleased.”