The Trinity Ball lineup has been announced, with acts Jazzy and Confidence Man headlining. Here at University Times, we’re going to bring you speed dating with each act listed so you can learn a bit more about them all. This year, Trinity Ball are bringing the ball back into Ireland’s court, with its lineup featuring a whopping 92% homegrown lineup. From dance-pop, to indie, to absolutely scintillating riffs and bars, we have it all.
Confidence Man:
A duo hailing from Brisbane, Australia, they are guaranteed to get you moving with their ‘indie- electro pop.’ Their lyrics are catchy, simple and clad in outlandish costumes, they really put on a show. The band’s lineup consists of Janet Bones and Sugar Bones, who provide vocals and dancing, with Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuiffe playing keyboard and drums. Confidence Man have played many festivals, most notably being Glastonbury in 2024.
Listen to: Now U Do: DJ Seinfeld and Confidence Man.
Jazzy:
Yasmine Byrne, known by her stage name, Jazzy, is a dance-pop artist hailing from Crumlin, county Dublin. Originally the main vocalist in Dublin rap and hip-hop group, Powerful Creative Minds, Jazzy sang on the Belter’s Only track, Make Me Feel Good and has only gone from strength to strength since then. With hits such as Giving Me, and Somedays, and 9.7 million Spotify monthly listeners, Jazzy is creating a legacy for Irish female musicians. And also absolutely gorgeous tunes.
Listen to: Make Up: Jazzy, and Hope Is Good, Change is Real: Powerful Creative Minds
49th & Main:
Producer Ben O’Sullivan and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Paddy King come from county Kilkenny. They met in school and began making music together one summer, with their first single, Party Alone, releasing on March 13th, 2020, just as the COVID-19 lockdowns began. This failed to stop them, as they continued releasing music throughout COVID and have since gained over 1.7 million monthly Spotify listeners, alongside reaching well-above 100 million streams on their tunes. Currently preparing for an American tour, 49th and Main will get you moving, grooving and throwing all sorts of shapes.
Listen to: Catching Eyes, 49th & Main
Big Sleep:
Big Sleep are an alternative-indie act that are ‘destined for greatness’ according to Irish music magazine, Hot Press. Announcing a headline gig in the Academy for October this year, the Big Sleep have solidified their name within the Dublin music scene, alongside their international presence, playing shows like Other Voices in Cardigan, Wales and embarking on a UK tour last year. They have an extensive catalogue of music out on their Spotify, and are consistently releasing absolute tunes.
Listen to: In My Head: Big Sleep
Prozak:
DJ Prozak hails from Dublin, and has been on the scene for a few years now. Releasing his first single, Get Up in 2020, he continues to get the world moving, one set at a time. The King of Garage, he has released music on Conducta’s Kiwi Label. From playing a Boiler Room set in Sydney in 2024, to the Terminus Stage at Electric Picnic, to Dublin’s own Tengu, he is guaranteed to play an absolutely unreal set.
Listen to: Hold Me Down: Prozak
Curtisy: UT Pick
Jobstown’s finest, Gavin Curtis, known by his alias of Curtisy, has been making waves in the Dublin rap scene for years. Last year, with the release of his debut album, What Was the Question, Curtisy broke into mainstream media, earning a nomination for RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2024. Opening the second track on his album with the sentence, ‘If you’re not hip, don’t listen,’ it’s clear Curtisy’s bars are crafted meticulously, making his presence within the Dublin rap scene heard. Curtisy has collaborated with other Dublin rap legends such as Ahmed! With Love, and Wexford’s finest, Lil’ Skag. All he does is create absolute belters. Ma’s life.
Listen to: Running Rampant: Curtisy, Solo Lui, Edboy, Usually: Curtisy, Lil’ Skag.
Sloucho:
Producer Sloucho released his first project in November of 2022, HOLD IT DOWN. Since then, he has continued creating tracks that can only be described as electronic soundscapes. In 2024, he released his debut album, NPC, which features Dublin rapper Curtisy, well-decorated Irish producer Rory Sweeney and Belfast based MC EMBY. SLOUCHO has also played Electric Picnic and AVA Belfast.
Listen to: NPC (album): SLOUCHO
Cliffords:
Iona Lynch is the frontwoman of Cork fivepiece, Cliffords. Alongside drummer Daniel Ryan, Harry Menton on guitar, Locon O’Toole on keys and synth and multi-instrumentalist Gavin Dawkins, they create beautiful songs with gorgeous, vulnerable, heart-hitting lyrics. Affectionately calling their fans ‘petals’, Cliffords have been releasing music since February 2024, and rose to national prominence with the release of two singles, Sleeping With Ghosts, and Feels Like a Man. They played Irish Music Week last year.
Listen to: Feels Like a Man: Cliffords
Annie-Dog;
You might recognise Annie-Dog’s face from The Magazine Club, a Dublin-based band who rose to prominence in their early 2020s, interviewed by UT in 2021. Cath Leahy has since embarked on a new journey as Annie-Dog, a wholly DIY artist, similar musically to Imogen Heap and Grimes. Often seen on stage with headphones and no shoes on, Annie-Dog is eccentric and new in all the most perfect ways. Having released a steady stream of singles in 2024, she has solidified a name for herself in the Irish music scene. Woof.
Listen to: The Pressures of the Heart: Annie-Dog, Fish: Annie-Dog.
Simple Things:
Simple Things are a threepiece from Killorglin, Kerry, consisting of vocalist Dylan, bassist and backing vocalist Shane, and multi-instrumentalist Kealan. They bring a new, fresh flavour to pop music. Kealan and Dylan began playing trad music together at a young age, before exploring pop music together. Their music is similar to Mumford and Sons, and The Lumineers. They released their first single, Home, in 2022 and have amassed over 45 thousand monthly Spotify listeners.
Listen to: Whisper: Simple Things.
Scustin:
Scustin blur the line between lyricism and storytelling, and also the line between the crowd and the performer, as they spend most of the show hunkered down with the crowd, telling them, ‘Don’t Put Blackcurrant in that Pint of Guinness.’ Scustin are a band that are a staple in the Dublin music scene, but they are making waves abroad, playing festivals and gigs in the Netherlands and England. They are recorded and produced by Richie Kennedy who worked with The Murder Capital and INTERPOL. They released their first single, The Killer in 2021 and are due to release Confessions of a Pub Talker in 2025. One not to be missed.
Listen to: Sometimes I Feel: Scustin.
