Galway-formed band NewDad formed in Galway, Ireland in 2020 after coming together for a musical practical at school, as part of a final year project. It’s a songwriting journey that began at the age of nine, when singer/guitarist Julie Dawson took up guitar after falling for Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriele.
The alt/rock collective’s debut album Madra, is set for release on January 26, 2024, through Fair Youth/Atlantic.
The album finds NewDad reconnect with their musical roots, digging deep into the shoegaze/rock sonics that soundtracked their formative years (the band cite Pixies, The Cure and Slowdive as some of their biggest early influences), together with glimmers of indie/pop that harks back to their earlier material: ‘Waves EP’ (2021) and ‘Banshee EP’ (2022). Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios (Black Sabbath, Queen), the album has been produced by NewDad’s long-time collaborator Chris Ryan (Just Mustard) and mixed by Alan Moulder (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Wet Leg). Bound together by Julie’s ghostly vocal - a vessel for her weighty, introspective songwriting – Madra firmly marks NewDad as one of Ireland’s most promising debut guitar bands.