After the release of songs like “In My Head”, “Angel” and “Nightmares”, NewDad released their debut album ‘Madra’ on Fair Youth/Atlantic to much anticipation. Meaning the word, dog, in Irish the material on the album tackles various difficult parts of the human condition as lead singer and NewDad songwriter Julie Dawson describes as “a journey of self-exploration, self-sabotage, and reflection.” “The title is that these feelings that come up are sometimes ones you can’t escape, feelings that follow you around like a dog,” Dawson stated. Songs like “Where I Go” tackles themes of bullying, while “Madra” and “Let Go” deal with self-medication/depression. “White Ribbons” hails the stamina and endurance of the human spirit and physical vessel, as she describes “‘White Ribbons’ is a metaphor for my skin; something that always heals my wounds. It’s like a promise to my body that I will be kinder to myself.” The early seeds for ‘Madra’ were planed during the time when the band was starting to gain traction with their EP ‘Waves’ in 2021, with half of the album written in Galway, and the rest completed after the band relocated to London. Dawson drew on her perspective of lived experiences of heartbreak, exploring her own mental health struggles or taking inspiration from cinema. She stated, “people come to us and they’re like, your songs have really helped me through a tough time,” Dawson explains, proudly. “I love that we can do that for people, and that we can instil them with confidence, just like my favourite songwriters have always done for me.” Formed in Galway, Ireland in 2020 the four-piece consists of Julie Dawson (guitar/vocals), Fiachra Parslow (drums), Cara Joshi (bass) and Sean O’Dowd (guitar), came together for a musical practical at school as part of a final year project.
NewDad spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about their impressions of California, influences by The Pixies, and Weezer, their debut album ‘Madra,’ and more.
