Dea Matrona is an Irish rock band currently based in Belfast and led by Orláith Forsythe and Mollie McGinn.
Formally formed in 2018, the band have written and produced all of their catalogue to the present day, as well as covering many of their favourite songs. Dea Matrona's main influences are Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.[1] Both Orláith and Mollie sing and play multiple instruments, exchanging singing duties but also swapping their roles on bass and lead guitar.
The band's history began when then high school friends Orláith and Mollie both wanted to perform in a school talent show, however there was only room for one more contestant. The previous musical rivals had to perform together, marking the beginning of what would become Dea Matrona. Once their similar interest in music had been established, both Orláith and Mollie would show each other the bands they were listening to, allowing them to expand their influences while bonding over the music.
Originally the band was called "Orláith and Mollie", however they changed their name to Dea Matrona and began to perform as a trio with Mollie's younger sister Mamie on drums, busking on the streets of Belfast.
In February 2022, Dea Matrona released a statement on their social media announcing the departure of Mamie McGinn from the band to "focus on college and pursue other interests". They have continued to perform as a trio using several session drummers.
In May 2022 the band embarked on their first European tour supporting Eagles of Death Metal as well as performing at festivals such as Rock Werchter, Trans Musicales and The Great Escape Festival. That same year, the Dea Matrona released the singles So Damn Dangerous and Red Button, the latter appearing in the Belfast based Sky Atlantic TV series “The Lovers”.The group began 2023 by embarking on a 5 week tour across the UK supporting Kris Barras, followed by another UK and Ireland tour in March 2023 supporting Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. In February 2023 Dea Matrona announced their first UK and Ireland headline tour, with three dates in Bristol, Glasgow and London selling out. They performed in the US for the first time at SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas as well as releasing the single Get My Mind Off and playing at festivals such as Bearded Theory, Flackstock and The Iveagh Gardens supporting KALEO. The band also played at Wembley arena as part of the Jags Country concert for the NFL Jaguars UK team.
In February 2024 the band released a new single Stuck On You. Over March and April they released the singles Black Rain and Every Night I Want You, leading up to the release of their debut album For Your Sins on the 3rd of May 2024.
They later released a cover of Kiss by Prince in August, and their Acoustic Sessions EP for the For Your Sins album in December.
2024 was a big year for concerts for Dea Matrona, with their headline tour in the UK and Ireland throughout May, followed by a summer of festivals. They supported Sheryl Crow in June, of which in their youtube video "Supporting Sheryl Crow - A Dea In The Life" they showed the behind-the-scenes of the day, including a clip from a BBC radio interview in which they stated "It feels amazing (to support Sheryl Crow) because we've just been really really influenced by Sheryl for so many years". They later also supported Shania Twain at Hyde Park in July, and went on tour supporting Royal Republic through October and November.
Formally formed in 2018, the band have written and produced all of their catalogue to the present day, as well as covering many of their favourite songs. Dea Matrona's main influences are Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.[1] Both Orláith and Mollie sing and play multiple instruments, exchanging singing duties but also swapping their roles on bass and lead guitar.
The band's history began when then high school friends Orláith and Mollie both wanted to perform in a school talent show, however there was only room for one more contestant. The previous musical rivals had to perform together, marking the beginning of what would become Dea Matrona. Once their similar interest in music had been established, both Orláith and Mollie would show each other the bands they were listening to, allowing them to expand their influences while bonding over the music.
Originally the band was called "Orláith and Mollie", however they changed their name to Dea Matrona and began to perform as a trio with Mollie's younger sister Mamie on drums, busking on the streets of Belfast.
In February 2022, Dea Matrona released a statement on their social media announcing the departure of Mamie McGinn from the band to "focus on college and pursue other interests". They have continued to perform as a trio using several session drummers.
In May 2022 the band embarked on their first European tour supporting Eagles of Death Metal as well as performing at festivals such as Rock Werchter, Trans Musicales and The Great Escape Festival. That same year, the Dea Matrona released the singles So Damn Dangerous and Red Button, the latter appearing in the Belfast based Sky Atlantic TV series “The Lovers”.The group began 2023 by embarking on a 5 week tour across the UK supporting Kris Barras, followed by another UK and Ireland tour in March 2023 supporting Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. In February 2023 Dea Matrona announced their first UK and Ireland headline tour, with three dates in Bristol, Glasgow and London selling out. They performed in the US for the first time at SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas as well as releasing the single Get My Mind Off and playing at festivals such as Bearded Theory, Flackstock and The Iveagh Gardens supporting KALEO. The band also played at Wembley arena as part of the Jags Country concert for the NFL Jaguars UK team.
In February 2024 the band released a new single Stuck On You. Over March and April they released the singles Black Rain and Every Night I Want You, leading up to the release of their debut album For Your Sins on the 3rd of May 2024.
They later released a cover of Kiss by Prince in August, and their Acoustic Sessions EP for the For Your Sins album in December.
2024 was a big year for concerts for Dea Matrona, with their headline tour in the UK and Ireland throughout May, followed by a summer of festivals. They supported Sheryl Crow in June, of which in their youtube video "Supporting Sheryl Crow - A Dea In The Life" they showed the behind-the-scenes of the day, including a clip from a BBC radio interview in which they stated "It feels amazing (to support Sheryl Crow) because we've just been really really influenced by Sheryl for so many years". They later also supported Shania Twain at Hyde Park in July, and went on tour supporting Royal Republic through October and November.