New Pornographers woman set to make documentary about mother's experience of Motor Neurone disease
When Kathryn Calder’s mother was given 2-3 years left to live, the Canadian musician and New Pornographers member moved back into her childhood home to become a fulltime caregiver.
Calder’s mother was diagnosed with Motor Neurone disease (aka Lou Gehrig’s disease) which occurs when specialist nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, called motor neurones, stop working properly. The damage caused to parts of the nervous system leads to progressive weakness, usually with muscle wasting. No cure exists for the rare condition and most suffers die from respiratory failure, usually within two to three years from the onset of symptoms.
Calder – who is also the niece of New Pornographers frontman Carl Newman – decided to record her first solo album Are You My Mother as a parting gift, recruiting a producer and turning the living room at her childhood home into a recording studio.
The recording process and a benefit concert held last July for Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day feature in A Matter Of Time, a documentary revealing the inspirational story of Calder’s experiences as a care-giver, which is seeking funding to complete and reach a wider audience. The goal of $50,000 has until 22 July to be reached, with just over half of that figured already pledged.
“I really had to think about whether I wanted to do it,” Calder has said. “It took me at least two weeks of, ‘Can I do this? Am I capable of doing this?’ to decide. But it was more important to me that this story gets told. I wanted to help people who are going through this.”
To donate to the the project, head over to Calder’s Kickstarter page.
- Royel Otis return with new track, "Moody"
- Shygirl joins forces with LSDXOXO on new single, "Satisfy"
- Brian Eno & Beatie Wolfe release new collaboration, "What We Are"
- Gina Birch announces second solo album, Trouble
- Maruja detail forthcoming debut album, Pain to Power
- Miley Cyrus shares new track "More to Lose"
- Sam Fender shares video for "Little Bit Closer" starring Adolescence's Owen Cooper
Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday

Mark Pritchard & Thom Yorke
Tall Tales

billy woods
GOLLIWOG

Mclusky
the world is still here and so are we
