Katy Lironi - Matilda In The Middle

·50 min·4 clips

How a casual remark from Ken McCluskey on a garden fence launched a 10-year fundraising concert series for Down Syndrome charities.

Host Ali interviews musician and writer Katy Lironi about her book 'Matilda in the Middle', a family memoir structured like a double-sided album. Lironi describes the book as blending childhood memories with stories of raising her five children, particularly focusing on her daughter Matilda who has Down Syndrome and her deep connection to music. She explains how music has been a constant thread, from growing up with brothers into glam rock to studying in Edinburgh and joining the C86 indie scene as lead singer of The Fizzbombs. Lironi details meeting her husband Douglas McIntyre, forming the band The Secret Goldfish, and co-running the Creeping Bent record label for 30 years. A significant portion covers family life, including creating Sandfest, an annual fundraising concert for Down Syndrome charities that ran for 10 years and raised £50,000. She discusses founding Choir 21, a Makaton choir for people with Down Syndrome that started locally and moved online during COVID-19 lockdowns. Lironi talks about the challenges of writing a personal memoir, editing family stories, and ensuring Matilda's comfort with published content. The conversation touches on her children's varied musical interests, from electronic music to singing, and Matilda's songwriting. She reveals The Secret Goldfish has a new album 'Empty Holster' coming after 25 years, with a launch in June. Lironi also mentions ongoing monthly music events at The Swan Hotel in Strathaven. The episode explores themes of identity, creative outlets amidst parenting, and the intersection of music with disability advocacy.

As heard by us

A family memoir comes through hand-me-down records, home listening, and the careful work of remembering together.

Family, music, and the awkward work of remembering sit at the center of this single-episode conversation. Katie Laroni talks about Matilda in the Middle as a family memoir shaped by home listening and inherited taste, moving from her brothers' early glam records to her parents'…

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Why you'd press play

You get a family memoir, a first-single confession, and a reminder that musical taste often starts at home.

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