Dísréad (Band)

**Dísréad** wass a two women band playing Selkie-Rock. Active from 2013 to 2021, the band's base was in Riverwood and was composed up of Mhairi Uasal of the Tribe of Fermanagh and Eileen Íseal of the Tribe of Conn. Both wrote songs fr the band.

## Members

Mhairi Uasal of the Tribe of Fermanagh was the guitarist, both being able to play the electric guitar and the acoustic guitar. Her voice is usually described as high. Mhairi has a little sister, Liv Uasal of the Tribe of Fermanagh, the lead-vocalist of Na Siúracha Beaga, and a big sister, the Movie-Director Celina Uasal of the Tribe of Fermanagh.

Eileen Íseal of the Tribe of Conn is the bass-guitarist and also sings. She is also the dedicated songwriter. Her voice is usually described as low. Eileen has a little brother and a little sister. The sister is Mona Íseal of the Tribe of Conn, the keyboardist of Na Siúracha Beaga.

## History

The history of Dísréad begins in 2002, when the two girls of ten Springs in their Elementary School founded a band, Dísréad - no one took notice. With their skills still lacking, the two committed to learning their instruments and singing, practicing in an unused storeroom of the shop of Mhairi's father. A tape of one of their recording sessions surfaced in 2018, causing widespread amusement, especially with the two musicians.

2008 saw the two on the stages of several inns in towns, where a man from the Lipéad Record Company took notice of them. They were under contract quickly, releasing their first album a year later. Since then, they released at least one album each year, both women writing songs, usually together.

### Rising Stars (2014/2015 - 2019)

The band's success grew in 2014/2015, after they played an unplugged concert on Radio Cornwall 3.

In the Winter 2018/2019, the band made a creative break on the Longbhriseadh-Islands of the Oileánra-Archipelago. While there, they met Isla Saighead of the Tribe of Westmeath and her friends.

### Household Names (2019-2021)

During the 2019 Cuan Spring Festival in Cuan, Dísréad played on the Ceol-Square, one of four bands playing on that main stage. Amongst others, they presented some songs from their newest album, *Dhá Chrann don Ghrá* (Two Guitars for Love).

In Mid-2019, the band tried its hands at harder rock, beginning work on the concept album *Saigheada le Fruiliú*, *Arrows for Hire*, covering the many different battles of Selkie-Mercenaries over the many centuries. The song *Le haghaidh Grá, Airgid agus Baile*, *For Love, Silver and Home*, premiered during their concert at the 2019 Preetz Mittsommer Festival. The corresponding album is planned for a 2020 release.

On November 10th, 2020, in the light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the band cancelled their tour, which was planned for 2020-2021. On the 8th of December 2020, the band announced via PiffleNet, that both members were tested positively and quarantined.

### The Cancelled 2020-2021 Tour

*OOC: The locations in the countries not represented on this Wikia were cleared with the players behind them.*
The tour was cancelled on the 10th of November 2020 in the light of the COVID-19-Pandemic.

### Breakup (2021)

Following Eileen's COVID-19 Infection in late 2020, further concert plans of the band were cast into doubt. After her release in February 2021, however, it became apparent, that Eileen had lost voice and stamina, leading to her trying, and failing, to get back up. For a bit, the duo tried to "make it work", but in early June 2021, they announced their breakup, much to the disappointment and shock of their fans. *Muir Mhara* and Unplugged II would be their last official albums, the latter more a collection of pre-2020 unplugged recordings.

## Style and Reception

Disréad's style of music is usually seen by critics as an ideal-typical Duo-Rock Band, omitting the drums in favour of two guitars, both girls as vocalists.

Their songs focus on love and loss and being apart, but there are also a few fun-songs, as well as a few songs focusing on Selkie-Politics and commentary on that (an example would be *Sula dtéann tú chun cogaidh...* (*Before you go to war...*), a song from 2019). They themselves say, that they got inspired by Ciaróg, another Selkie-Rock Band, their songs usually about love as well, but who had strong pacifist leanings in their later works. Their songs are known to be danceable.

They are often compared to Leannáin, but while both bands admit to certain similarities and a certain bit of competition, there are quite a few differences between them.

## Discography and famous songs

* Simplí Album (Collaboration Album, Comedy Rock, 2017).
* Tumadóir (Diver, 2018).
* Díphlugáil (Unplugged, 2018).
* *Dhá Chrann don Ghrá* (Two Guitars for Love, 2019).
	+ *Sula dtéann tú chun cogaidh...*, *Before you go to war...*
	+ *Scealpi an Scátháin*, *Shards of the Mirror*.
* *Saigheada le Fruiliú* (*Arrows for Hire*, 2020, concept album about the many battles of Selkie-Mercenaries).
	+ *Le haghaidh Grá, Airgid agus Baile*, *For Love, Silver and Home*.
	+ *Mura bhfuil, cén uair?*, *If not now, then when?*.
	+ *Dearg Liam, Red Liam*.
	+ *Caomhnóiri Gorm agus Capall (song), Guard of Blue and Horse (song)*.
	+ *Príobháideachi (Dísréad Song), Privateers (Dísréad Song)*.
	+ *Marcaigh sa Gaineamh*, *Riders in the Desert*.
* *Muir Mhara* (Stormy Seas, 2021).
* Unplugged II (2022).