NewDad

NewDad formed in Galway in 2018, Julie Dawson, Sean O'Dowd, Áine Tyrrell, and Ciaran Lawless developing a sound rooted in shoegaze and dream pop that was immediately hazy and melodic. Dawson's vocals were warm and distinctive, floating above the band's dense, layered guitar textures in ways that drew on the shoegaze tradition while finding their own contemporary voice.

Their early EPs generated significant critical excitement, and their debut album 'Madra' (2023) was widely regarded as one of the most impressive Irish debuts of the year. Songs like 'Slowly' and 'Blue' showed a band with genuine melodic gifts and a sonic ambition that placed them firmly in the tradition of the great Irish and British shoegaze acts.

NewDad are one of the most exciting acts in contemporary Irish music — a band whose combination of shoegaze atmosphere, melodic directness, and Dawson's distinctive vocals makes them genuinely distinctive. They represent the continuing vitality of Irish alternative music and its engagement with the shoegaze tradition. ⚠ Flag: post-2023 activity — verify any releases since 'Madra'.