Hailing from Ireland, NewDad hit the music scene in 2018 with their funky sound, psychedelic collage cover art, and honest lyrics, They quickly set themselves apart from mainstream media. The band consists of three members: Julie Dawson, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist; Áindle O’Beirn, lead bassist; Sean O’Dowd, lead guitarist; and Fiachra Parslow, drummer. The members first met at Coláiste Iognáid SJ, a secondary school, and the band was formed for a very typical “teenage reason,” social anxiety. The members had to perform to pass their practical music exam for their Leaving Certificate, the Irish version of a high school diploma. So the three decided to form a band to avoid having to do a solo performance.
The band hit early popularity with some of their singles, releasing five in 2020, which together managed to pull in over two million streams on Spotify. NewDad’s early success earned it the opportunity to record a live session with BBC 6 Music, one of the largest musical radio stations in the world. NewDad’s first EP, “Waves,” was first released in March of 2021, earning positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. Only a few months later, in October, NewDad teased their new EP, “Banshee,” with a single titled “Ladybird,” which would be included on the EP, whose formal release was in 2022. Similar to their last EP, “Banshee” was held in good regard, and the success of the EP would see the band relocating to London and replacing Áindle O’Beirn with bassist Cara Joshi
Following the release of “MADRA,” NewDad’s first official album, in 2024, Julie Dawson announced that she would be releasing a solo album that year in the fall. They have also appeared in festivals such as the Green Man Festival in Wales and the Pitchfork Festival in Paris.
MADRA ( 2024 ):
Sharing a name with the Irish word “madra,” meaning dog, NewDad’s debut album was dropped in late January 2024. The album was recorded in a two-week period in March 2023 and scored positive reviews upon the record’s debut. Earning a 74/100 from Metacritic. Another review from Uncut ranks the album as an 8/10, praising the band for expanding on their indie-pop roots, adding some punk style, and taking inspiration from bands like The Cure and Slowdive. The record contains eleven tracks spanning around forty-one minutes, with a large majority of the tracks written by the lead singer, Julie Dawson. Dawson’s airy vocals and the heavy indie and alternative style choices make NewDad an amazing band to listen to, making choosing hit songs from this album extremely difficult.
The band’s stylistic choices in their artwork and the way their music is produced and made make NewDad stand out from many indie bands of the decade. Newdad can be considered to be under this genre called “shoegaze.” A genre that emerged from Ireland and the UK in the 1980s is a subgenre of indie pop that mixes with dream pop. The genre is known for its obscure vocals and musical distortion for effect. I like to believe that the genre title is a small nod to Mazzy Star, but unfortunately for me, My Bloody Valentine is known for pioneering the genre.
Change My Mind:
“Change My Mind” is the fourth song on “MADRA” and deals with mental health issues. That feeling of not trying to get better and repeating bad behavior, knowing what you are doing is damaging, but not caring. The main inspiration for the song was NewDad’s old single “Blue,” released in 2020. The popularity of “Blue” made the band want to recreate part of that song in their new album.
Nosebleed:
Smack dab in the middle of the record, “Nosebleed” was one of the tracks from “MADRA” that quickly became a favorite among audiences and critics, being marked as one of the album’s highlight tracks. Dawson worked wonders with the lyrics on “Nosebleed,” a track about relationships and toxic behaviors. She uses her lyrics like poetry, and the music as a natural flow between the painful lyrics and the brainstorming repetitive chorus of the song, repeating the lines, “The way you make my nose bleed, you’re always talking down to me, and when you bandage my knees, you never knew quite how you’d be.”
Dream Of Me:
Dawson pulls another great trick with her lyrics in “Dream of Me,” the eighth song on the album. Dawson said that the track is about loving someone unaware of the narrator’s feelings towards them, that cat and mouse game that unrequited love becomes. The reference for the structure of the track is surprisingly the famous pop artist Katy Perry’s song, “Waking Up in Las Vegas.” Although “Dream Of Me” might not be the most memorable song on this record, it still has a great style and aesthetic that will make you fall in love with the track.
Under My Skin ( Single):
Released as a single in 2024 as part of the soundtrack to the newest edition of the “Life Is Strange” video game series, “Life Is Strange: Double Exposure”, “Under My Skin” quickly became a highlight of the game. The song’s soft vocals and airy indie sound give the track a relaxing vibe that perfectly matches the video game’s aesthetic. The video game series known for its fantastic indie and alternative soundtracks, and the exposure of having its music featured in the game, is a great way for NewDad to expand to a new audience.
NewDad was quick to start in the music world, and they have not slowed down. Their release of “MADRA” last year only marks the beginning of their journey in the indie world, as they just released a new EP titled “Safe” on May 2, which is out on Spotify and Apple Music for streaming.
