The Dublin music scene is great because it’s wholesome and intimate. The underground rap scene, which we’re a part of, is still very fresh and everyone knows and supports each other. The Button Factory was the first venue we played. It was sometime after Covid in 2021 and everyone was out looking for fun. Social distancing was still a thing and there were some shows where you weren’t allowed to stand up.

It was a very interesting time to start performing. Our music requires a bit of energy and jumping around. So at the show, people started moving closer to the stage and the bouncers were trying to keep them back. Then, it really popped off and the whole place started shaking once everyone let go. It was a lot of fun and a needed release after the pandemic.

So much has changed since Covid. It was a renaissance for the entire music scene. Three years since our first gig, we’ve seen a lot of changes. We still have yet to see how it’ll all play out, and what the bigger effects are. But so many people are doing music now and getting creative because they see it’s possible. More people are paying attention to the underground rap scene and I’ve noticed that it’s drawing larger crowds than ever before.

TraviS and Elzzz on January 27th, 2023. By Abigail Ring

Creativity fosters authenticity. The Irish drill scene, for example, was huge after Covid but it’s based on the UK drill sound. Something that isn’t authentic has a shelf life, and I don’t know if drill has much longevity here. So we’re all building our own individual communities and micro scenes instead.

There’s a hub for it here in Dublin and people are buying into it because of its authenticity and a desire for something never seen before. I have fans who come up to me and say, ‘Whatever you guys are doing, don’t stop. We need this here. The culture needs this.’ There’s a hunger for it.

Any live music scene needs diversity, and Dublin’s is growing more and more. We’re trying to add to that culture and build with it as first-generation, young black men making music here. Live music is very important for getting that out publicly.

• Travis & Elzzz’s Doghouse is out now.