From music majors to engineering students, UCD fosters a student body filled with talent and a passionate love for creating music. Whether it’s a band practising in the depths of the Newman Basement or your showtune-obsessed roommate who won’t shut up, music permeates every corner of campus. While we may not have the Trinitones haunting us during a late-night study session, UCD boasts its own rich soundtrack, and it all starts with the famous Battle of the Bands.
This cutthroat competition is the ultimate launching pad for aspiring student musicians. With the current edition ongoing, bands are preparing to showcase their talent on stage. This is where many UCD alumni got their start, or at least, where these standout acts did…
Sophie Maria, a contestant representing UCD in a Battle of the Bands against Trinity College two years ago, released her debut record Plead in 2023. Said to be inspired by the Wicklow Mountains, her hushed, melancholic sound resembles Phoebe Bridgers with her raw acoustics and cathartic lyrics.
Formerly Pleasure Dome, Fizzy Orange won UCD’s Battle of the Bands in 2020, amassing over 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and performed at this year’s EP on the Salty Dog stage. Their first album, entitled Old Ones, released in June of last year, showcases the band’s versatility, with rock, pop, and soul tracks all featuring an 80s lo-fi approach.
Punk-Rock band Flyover Band performed against Fizzy Orange in 2020 and released their debut single Evangeline in 2022. Their latest record, How to Love Again, centres around navigating vulnerability in the superficial experience of Dublin, asking: “How to love again/The truth’s gonna set you free/You suffer most what you can’t see”.
Another Battle of the Bands survivor, Precinct, aims to redefine what a college band can be. Formed during their Junior Cert music project, the band blends jazz, rock and R&B in their three original songs, Marlay Park, Light Up the Ceiling and Take Me Home.
The latest winners of Battle of the Bands are a five-piece band made up of Chiara Gianini, Ali Carney, Steven Lothian, Christopher Mason, and Harvey McNevin. In their interview with HotPress, following their win, they shared their concept for an upcoming EP, which includes their now-released single Voicebox. They expressed how it focused on the disconnect in the relationship between mother and child, a theme introduced in the single.
Across campus and beyond, UCD students and alumni continue to shape Ireland’s vibrant music scene with their incredible talent and passion. As this year’s Battle of the Bands kicks off during Freshers’ Week, be sure to catch a show; you just might discover Dublin’s next big act.
Sophie Lipayon – Campus Correspondent