NEWDAD RELEASE THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ‘MADRA’ VIA FAIR YOUTH/ATLANTIC
Entering 2024 as one of Ireland’s brightest new bands following a slew of hype from the likes of NME, Rolling Stone UK, The Observer, Uncut and 6 Music, NewDad release their acclaimed debut album ‘Madra’ on Fair Youth/Atlantic. Spending the bulk of last year advancing their status as one of Ireland’s most anticipated alt/rock bands, NewDad released a series of track drops in the run-up to their debut – ‘In My Head’, ‘Angel’, ‘Let Go’, ‘Nightmares‘ and ‘White Ribbons: a demonstration of the Galway outfit’s fuzzy shoegaze sound and melanonic lyricism, which has seen them become lauded as heroes of existential turmoil.
The band’s debut album, Madra (meaning “dog” in Irish), is an 11-song, guitar-stacked visceral outing, as singer/guitarist Julie Dawson embarks on a journey of self-exploration, self-sabotage, and reflection. Soaked in dysfunction, Madra searches for solace in pain, tackling themes of bullying (‘Where I Go’), self-medication/depression (‘Madra’, ‘Let Go’), destruction (‘Change My Mind’, ‘White Ribbons’), codependency (‘Nosebleed’) and resistance (‘Nightmares’). The album artwork, photographed by Irish creative, Joshua Gordon, shows a broken doll that serves as a metaphor for the album’s themes of fragility and vulnerability.
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). Written in their home city of Galway, Ireland, before the band moved to London this year, and recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios (Black Sabbath, Queen), the album has been produced by NewDad’s long-time collaborator Chris W 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.
Speaking upon the album’s announcement, Julie said – “Madra meaning dog in Irish explores various difficult parts of the human condition and the idea of the title is that these feelings that come up are sometimes ones you can’t escape, feelings that follow you around like a dog. We had an amazing team around us who helped bring these songs to life and we’re so excited for this album to be out in the world. We hope that people connect with the songs and that Madra can be a comfort to everyone who listens.”
Most recently, Julie sat down with 6 Music’s Huw Stepehens for a round table 2023 round-up (listen here). The band will tour the UK in Feb/March, taking in London’s KOKO on 5 March.
Madra track listing
Angel
Sickly Sweet
Where I Go
Change My Mind
In My Head
Nosebleed
Let Go
Dream Of Me
Nightmares
White Ribbons
Madra
UK & Ireland Tour
FEBRUARY 2024
24 – Leeds – Belgrave Music Hall SOLD OUT
25 – Manchester – Band on The Wall SOLD OUT
26 – Glasgow – St Luke’s
28 – Dublin – Button Factory SOLD OUT
29 – Dublin – Button Factory
MARCH 2024
2 – Birmingham – O2 Institute
3 – Bristol – Trinity
5 – London – Koko
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