Trophy Wife

Trophy Wife (Ruby Smyth) is an indie rock singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Ireland. Aiming to harness the energy of the vibrant indie scene in Dublin Trophy Wife hopes to rise to the top of her game and harness the power of her demographic with an elevated sound chronicling her experiences of life as a queer woman in her 20's.

"Scully" is an immediate, textured and exciting insight into what Irish indie rock does best. Opening with jangly guitars (a la Snail Mail, Beabadoobee, Clairo, NewDad) and building to a big and dynamic chorus (harkening to Pixies, early Pretenders, Wet Leg etc.), Scully captures the guitar driven momentum of indie rock while elevating the sound to create conversational instrumentation, well thought out harmonies, informed ideas and sonic richness - all integral to the TW sound.
 

Named after the iconic X - files character played by Gillian Anderson, Scully sees Trophy Wife grapple with an internal landscape of anxiety, paranoia and despair while in a seemingly banal, ordinary and domestic setting. The song explores the question of whether we can truly trust our own judgement at any given time, whether our innate instincts are always in our best interest, and whether we can ever subside the guilt that arises with sharing the parts of ourselves we deem to be the least palatable and most vulnerable. With heavy queer undertones, the song paints a complex and intimate picture set to music.
 

"Scully is a song for people like me who are painfully self aware and hold emotions very close to their chest. It came to me one day while watching TV and contemplating the difference between the inner and outer world. Sonically I wanted it to be exciting and layered - focussing on conversational guitar lines, big rich harmonies and a driving beat throughout. It slaps - and Gillian Anderson is really hot so, there's that too." - Trophy Wife

As the first single off Trophy Wife's upcoming EP, Scully acts as a punchy and exciting introduction to the next stage of TW's project.

No stranger to the live scene of Dublin's top indie venues such as The Grand Social, Workman's, Whelan's and Soundhouse, Trophy Wife has played many headline gigs and has been included in line ups for "We've Only Just Begun" festival, "Singular artists" and most recently "One's to Watch" In Whelan's. She's also the recipient of TILT's collaborative recording opportunity (With John Barker). Blending the jangle and drive of Snail Mail, the softness and whimsy of Clairo with the grit and edge of Irish favourites NewDad and Inhaler, TW manages to harbour a sound that is decidedly Indie yet definitively unique.

Trophy Wife’s debut EP Art was well received with radio play from RTE one’s John Creedon, Lilian Smith and Fiachna O’ Braoinan alongside 98fm, KCLR, Cork FM and more. Irish media giants such as Hot Press, Nialler9, Goldenplec, the thin air and Trinity News also covered the release alongside online and indie publications.

Between April and August 2023, TW has 3 planned single releases culminating in her sophomore EP out early October. This project promises to be her most ambitious yet, seeing TW lean into the more rock and grunge aspects of her sonic palette while still staying true to the elevated and sophisticated TW sound. Centring around totems of the wild vs the domesticated, the public vs the private as well as complex queer love and loss, this EP is just as thematically rich as its sonics.