Being in a band stopped making me happy
The singer tells BUSOLA EVANS how she waved goodbye to her rock-star lifestyle to embrace nature
SHE may have once been known for her rock ’n’ roll excesses but these days singer Cerys Matthews’ life could not be more different. The former frontwoman of the multimillion-selling 1990s band Catatonia is not only a happy mother of three, she has carved out a new career as an author and broadcaster and presents a weekly radio programme on BBC 6 Music which is the most listened to digital-only show in the country.
Such is her passion now about embracing the simple joys of life, Cerys has founded a nature-inspired music festival, celebrating all the outdoors has to offer and focusing on wellbeing.
Now in its fourth year The Good Life Experience is a three-day event in North Wales with a difference. As well as music and food there are workshops, demonstrations and activities including abseiling, foraging, pottery, cider-making, axe-throwing and boat-building.
“There weren’t any festivals that were doing what I wanted to do as a festival-goer,” says Cerys, 48, who was born in Cardiff but brought up on the Pembrokeshire coast. “Here you can experience great things. You can have a go at wood carving, find out how denim is made, see how ropes are made. Life is always so fast-paced that this allows you to switch off and enjoy the best of the great outdoors.”
It’s all a far cry from her hellraising image at the height of her fame. There were relentless reports of her battle with drink and drugs and in 2001 she checked into rehab.
Today she doesn’t want to dwell on her past but admits her musical success back then took its toll.
“I was in a rock band. There was a lot of drink and drugs around,” she says. “It was a night-time job and depending on what country we were in we could be getting on stage after midnight. Being in a routine was out of the question. It’s a difficult job to have and to keep on a level.”
THE result was deciding to quit the band that brought her fame. “When I left in 2000 I had been pretty much on the road for 10 years,” she says. “I had a lack of schedule, lack of regular hours and this night life. I knew things had to change. I’d had one chapter and I decided quite purposely that I wanted a brand new one.
“Being in the band wasn’t making me happy. If you find yourself in a situation that doesn’t make you happy then it’s easy to fall prey to negative thoughts.
“It’s about trying to get enough energy to change your surroundings and have people around you who do make you happy, that’s a lesson a lot of us learn going through life.”
Cerys escaped the pressures of fame by moving to Nashville in the US where she had two children, Glenys, 13, and Johnny, 12, with her then-husband, American music producer Seth Riddle.
“It was an extremely different lifestyle from what I’d had,” she says. “Firstly there was none of that so-called celebrity so there was no pressure and also it was very much to do with the natural world which I’ve always loved. And I had the two children in quick succession so it was a complete contrast.”
She returned to the UK in 2007 following the breakdown of her marriage and has since tied the knot with her manager Steve Abbott, with whom she has a seven-year-old son, Red Owen.
Her health philosophy now is simple: “It’s whatever makes you happy and also balance.”
But she is passionate about the food she eats, too. “I’m interested in what happens from field to fork. I’m interested in ‘real’ food: an apple from an apple tree and a potato from the ground.” As a result Cerys rarely buys ready-made food, likes to cook from scratch and grows fruit and vegetables in the garden of her west London home.
“My husband and daughter are vegetarian and I’m flexitarian, which means I eat meat only very occasionally. We usually cook with vegetables and lots of pulses such as chickpeas. I love South Indian cuisine, spicy food and fresh herbs.”
But as many mums find it can be a struggle to ensure kids always eat healthily. “My older children can go out and buy crisps and can be given sweets by friends and family,” says Cerys. “Also life is so much more sedentary than it used to be. That was one of the reasons I wanted to create the festival. The fact is kids love being online so it’s important to make time where they embrace being outdoors and forget they are not on their devices.”
Trying to keep fit while juggling her busy life can be a challenge but she adds: “We’ve all got bikes and I try to walk to places when I can. I enjoy being outside.
“I find it helpful walking out into the fresh air or the countryside. It has been proven scientifically that just being around nature can release serotonin, which boosts your mood. It helps get that balance back.” With just two years before she turns 50 Cerys is happy to embrace getting older. “There’s no option but to take it in your stride,” she laughs.
“I love the age I am. When you get into your 40s you truly begin to value what a healthy life you’ve got and get a better perspective on everything. I feel at a privileged point of my life now. My main philosophy is that if you’ve got health you’ve got everything.”