Beloved Galway band NewDad are continuously reaching new heights. Less than a year after the release of their debut album ‘Madra,’ the group have secured their status as invaluable cohorts of an arresting alt-rock music scene. While drawing influence from the likes of The Cure, Just Mustard, and Pixies, NewDad continue to reach beyond these inspirations, to produce a penetrating sound of their own.
The four-piece band is composed of Julie Dawson (vocals/guitar), Cara Joshi (bass), Fiachra Parslow (drums), and Sean O’Dowd (guitar). We recently spoke with Julie, NewDad's lyricist and lead vocalist about their ascent, the catharsis found through songwriting and some incredible moments for the band on the horizon.
Photo by Oliver Day
We chatted just after the band had an electric few weeks playing live gigs; opening for Johnny Marr in Limerick, playing Glastonbury Festival… “it’s easy to not even acknowledge or notice how big it is,” Julie notes. “But if you told yourself 4 years ago you’re doing these things, you wouldn't believe it.” There’s a candour and authenticity that is saturated in their music - of course, this is reflective in the sincerity of the band members themselves. On writing songs and pulling from personal experiences Julie says, “I think it is so important to be honest.. You can’t hold back for fear of what people might think of you… because then you don’t get the best out of it.”
Their sound is an impeccable tangle of textures. The lyricism is cutting and comforting in equal measures. The melodic dreamlike guitar coupled with an aura of urgency implores you to keep listening, to revisit songs, to uncover hidden meanings. “Every other day when you’re in a session, you’re pulling from something that you’ve just heard,” Julie notes. “It took a while [to find our sound], we were playing music for maybe 2 or 3 years before we even released anything. And now we’re always learning. We want to stand the test of time… that’s our main concern.”
Photo by Alice Backham
When asked about Galway, and what it was like getting their start here, Julie reflects on the particular moment during lockdowns when they began to take the band seriously. “We were a little bit separated from it. It was in a moment in time where it didn’t really matter where you were or where you were working from.. you were just doing as much as you could with the time we had… so we wanted to make sure we made a lot of music.”
“Galway was a great place to do that… when shows were back on we were playing Róisín and Black Gate… It was a nice place to be and definitely you'd miss it being in London now.”
Photo by Alice Backham
On August 27th NewDad will make their return to Galway, supporting Pixies at the Galway Airport. “There are [full circle] moments like that, like getting that Pixies support or supporting Johnny Marr in Limerick... Those are the people that we grew up listening to, and the people that made us want to make music.”
NewDad offer a sacred revelation through their music; the solemnity of an inner quietness that can only be found by passing through so much noise. NewDad’s candescent songs pierce through the sound waves, creating a luminous and distinct discography. Their lyrics delve into an intimate space of self-reflection, where words transform into truth. Over the last few years, the Galway band have experienced a spectacularly meteoric rise. NewDad is embracing this momentum armoured with the mindfulness to remain present in the moment - an integral component for their incredible success.
Featured image by Alice Backham; all imagery courtesy of NewDad.
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