Tony Cowell
‘I suppose my dad was a hippy... I’m a bit of a hippy, a bit of a tomboy’
Cerys Matthews MBE was catapulted to fame with 90s band Catatonia, thanks to hits such as Mulder
And Scully and Road Rage. Today she is a bestselling author, a musician, an awardwinning presenter on BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music, and her Good Life Experience Festival is now in its 5th year. Here, she talks about how she changed her life – and why she’s still a tomboy...
Cerys, you’re one busy lady, aren’t you?
Yeah, I’m having to apply a bit of life balancing at the moment. I’m in the car on the school run as we speak!
You’re juggling quite a few balls with writing and radio presenting. Are you very disciplined?
Not at all. I’m the mum who forgets to bring the packed lunch for the kids. But actually I’m OK with that, because I manage just about and I don’t want to be that well organised so that it all becomes a comfortable habit. I don’t have nannies, I don’t have babysitters and I cook fresh food every day – I’m very hands-on in my life, and I think it’s important to do the whole parent thing yourself. It’s chaos most of the time but, somehow, it all gets done. That’s what most people’s lives are like nowadays – but we have to get what we can from the one life we have.
Would you say you had a happy childhood?
I did, yes. I was one of four children. My dad was quite Bohemian, and we went on all these crazy trips to Spain and France in search of communes in his old car, which often broke down! I suppose he was a bit of a hippy. I was always independent, inquisitive and a bit of a tomboy. We grew up on a farm in Pembrokeshire, and I was always playing in the woods at the back of our house.
Where did your love of music come from?
I think from everywhere... I taught myself piano at the age of eight. I was lucky enough to be born into a culture where music was everywhere. In school, in the 70s, I loved choir music, classical music, then I heard pub singing. My dad had good taste in music. He played me Bob Dylan, who immediately became my hero.
How old were you when you formed Catatonia?
I was 19. We had been on the road for a good few years before we became famous.
But I do remember when Mulder And Scully came out, because that was the beginning of it all. Then came Road Rage and the next thing we were playing to thousands at Glastonbury. I will never forget that moment – it was huge for us.
In 2007, you seemed to reinvent yourself, and went on reality TV show I’m A Celebrity! Get Me Out Of Here... Was that a turning point for you?
I don’t think it was reinvention, because I have always been quite wild at heart. I’m not the nails and hair girl, I’ve never been a preening sort of person – it just doesn’t interest me at all. So going into the jungle was me just being very curious, and independent... it wasn’t what people perhaps expected of me. It was the outback of Australia with no water. And it was just something I wanted to try for myself – and I’m extremely glad that I did.
You lived in America prior to that, didn’t you?
Yes, I lived in Nashville and South Carolina, learning a lot about jazz and blues. I had two of my kids while I was over there, and then I came home to Wales. It was quite a big change for me, but I’m happy I did come home.
The Good Life Experience is now in its fifth year – what was your original inspiration for creating the festival?
I wanted a festival where people could go a bit wild and explore the natural world. The way most people live their lives nowadays means they are not able to enjoy what I call the real natural world. I was brought up on a farm in Wales, so I was lucky I got to experience the wonder of nature as a child. Kids today spend so much of their time stuck in front of an iPad or TV. There is more to life than Instagram! So, this year, we have included a wild swimming area for kids in a private lake. We have added more arts and crafts – we want to provide a real sense of wonder, especially for children.
Has the festival become a timely reminder of a more simple life?
Yes. It was the search for the good life that led us to create a festival with a difference, to re-connect with old traditions. Our focus is music, art, food, culture and nature. It is a combination of The Great British Bake Off meets Bear Grylls... meets The Tube. It’s about making memories, and getting back to nature.