Orláith Forsythe explains why this weekend in Newcastle will be extra special for her after a big year for Dea Matrona
DEA MATRONA’S appearance at ‘Eats and Beats’ promises to be very special for one member of the group.
The group are playing on Saturday at the Homegrown stage and Orláith Forsythe, who is one half of the group along with Mollie McGinn, told the Morne Observer how she’s feeling about the event.
“I’m really looking forward to it. It is like a home show for me because I am from Dundrum.
“So I am just really excited, and I have heard great reports from the festival last year, and there are a lot of really great artists playing this year.
“It is going to be really great for Newcastle. We are all really excited in the band.”
Their previous experience of playing in Newcastle included a couple of gigs at the Anchor Bar. In fact, one of their first gigs was supporting the Illegals at that venue seven years ago. Therefore, this weekend is a step up for the group.
“All the gigs I have done at home are Belfast and beyond. To be able to play a show in Newcastle is going to be very fun, and very handy,” Orláith said.
There are a few reasons in particular why she thinks this gig will be particularly good.
“It is probably in the most beautiful location in the world number one, right below the Mournes. There is going to be lots of great food, and lots of people.
“Hopefully I will see some people that I know, that would be really nice.
“I just think it is a really great setting for a festival and it is definitely what Newcastle needs. I just hope it is going to be a great vibe.”
They haven’t yet decided the setlist, but Orlaith said that their performance promises to be entertaining.
“We will definitely play songs from our album, and maybe a few covers.
“But it will be something for everyone. We are just going to have a lot of fun. I hope it is fun for everyone who watches us.”
Ask anyone who is going to ‘Eats and Beats’ and they will say that the weather will make or break the event. But having been performing since she was 17, including many a busking gig in Belfast, the 24-year-old is the ultimate professional.
“If it is really cold we will have to do an outfit change.
“I remember one year, I think it was Downpatrick on St Patrick’s Day and there was hailstones pelting us. I remember my fingers turned purple. When you have shows like that, the show must go on.”
The band have had a very busy year. They released an album, ‘For Your Sins’, and have been on a three-week UK and Ireland tour.
The UK tour ended in Belfast with a sold-out show at the Limelight.
Orláith said that was incredible.
That tour included some notable support performances.
“We started our tour in Liverpool and then we went all over England and then to Ireland and down to Cork.
“We had some dates in Spain, France and London. We played support for Sheryl Crow and supported Shania Twain.
“It was a dream summer for us, putting out our album and getting the call to support some of our biggest heroes like Sheryl Crow and Shania Twain. You can’t really top that. I am really looking forward to wrapping up the summer in Newcastle, in a beautiful location.”
The tour was organised to promote their new album, which has received a positive reaction.
“The album has went down really well. We have been working on it for years.
“The first songs were written in 2021. It has been amazing to see how much people have really enjoyed it.
“Finally having it out there is the teenage dream for us. We put a lot of effort into writing it, and producing it. Now it is out in the world it is really a dream come true for us.”
What is interesting about Dea Matrona is that they like to be hands on with the work. They wrote and produced the album independently.
“It is important because we both grew up liking so much different music,” Orláith said.
“I grew up playing Irish traditional music as a kid. Molly used to play jazz. We had a bit of country thrown at us. So it is an homage to all the music that we grew up listening to and playing.”
Orláith explained that recording affords them freedom.
“It allows you to work on sounds and how you want the verses to flow. That is what we wanted to do when we produced this album ourselves. We just wanted to take the time and make sure that it came out the way we wanted it to. And it did and hopefully people can hear that.”
However, she said that she doesn’t favour one over the other, live performances or studio recording.
“I think I like both. I think being a studio band and a live band that you do have the ability to do both which is nice. When you have done a lot of recording you are looking forward to going out on the road again.
“Then when you are tired of the road you can go and write songs in the studio. It is nice. It goes hand in hand.”
Dea Matrona’s most recent single is a cover of Kiss by Prince. They released it a week ago.
“We were on tour in May and we were playing this song. We liked it so much that we recorded it,” Orlaith said.
They are working on new music and looking forward to touring as well.
“We are keeping on doing what we are doing and having a good time.
“This is what we both wanted to do since we were teenagers. We wanted to make music and travel. It is so much fun. That is all I can say.
“When you are growing up you watch documentaries about bands touring and you think that you can’t wait to do that. Then when you do it is better than what you imagined and so much fun.”
Dea Matrona play ‘Eats and Beats’ on Saturday.