NewDad return with new track ‘Pretty’

Irish alt-rock trio NewDad share the latest glimpse into their forthcoming second album Altar with poignant new single ‘Pretty’, released via Atlantic Records. The track stories the band’s love and admiration of Galway – their hometown – and arrives alongside a stunning visualiser set in the City, directed by longtime collaborator Peter Eason Daniels – one of the creative minds behind the visual world of Altar.

‘Pretty’ was conceived during one of the band’s early writing sessions in Galway last year alongside original band member Aindle O’Beirn, and follows the forerunning punchy-angst of ‘Roobosh’ – the first taste of NewDad’s new era, released last month. While the first track offered catharsis through rage, ‘Pretty’ in contrast is a tender, introspective moment on the record – equal parts wistful and sharp.“Pretty is a lighter spin on a key theme of the album, homesickness. It was a way for me to express my adoration for Galway, it’s a love song really.” adds frontwoman Julie Dawson. Shimmering guitars and delicate melodies frame Julie’s hushed vocals as she contemplates “the way home looks, sounds, how even on the darkest, wettest days it’s the most beautiful place in the world to me and I yearn for it every single day of my life.” Like much of Altar, it captures NewDad’s evolving sound: dreamy yet grounded, wide in scope yet intimately personal.

“Coming to a place like London that’s so chaotic and overwhelming really made me appreciate the peace and quiet of home. Also the landscape, being able to see wide open fields and roads with no one on them it’s just so calming and I’m in love with it. That’s why I wrote this song” – Julie Dawson

Written across two years in the aftermath of the band’s relocation from Galway to London, Altar reflects on homesickness, identity, and the emotional cost of chasing a dream. It’s a record that balances light and dark, heaviness and healing, with frontwoman Julie Dawson explaining: “The album itself is where I divulge my love for home. It’s the idea that Ireland is the altar and it’s the thing that I worship, in a way.”

Produced and half co-written by Shrink (Sam Breathwick), with the second half co-written alongside Justin Parker, the album marks a bold step forward for NewDad, expanding their sonic palette by effortlessly blending dream-pop textures with jagged guitar lines and emotionally raw lyricism. Since their debut How in 2020, the Galway-born, London-based trio – Julie Dawson (vocals/guitar), Sean O’Dowd (guitar), and Fiachra Parslow (drums) – have earned international acclaim for their lush, immersive alt-rock sound. Following the release of breakthrough debut Madrain 2024, which saw them tour extensively across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America and support acts like Pixies, The War on Drugs, andFontaines DC, the band have grown in both confidence and clarity. Now, with Altar – a reflection on identity, sacrifice, and the tension between comfort and ambition – NewDad are poised to showcase an even bolder evolution and reach new creative heights. Following a huge run of headline shows across China and a run of festivals in Japan and North America, the trio will take the album on the road later this year for a UK/EU tour, full itinerary below and tickets on sale HERE.

 

 

NewDad 2025 Tour Dates

2nd Aug – USA, Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza / Reggie’s Rock Club (w/ Wunderhorse)
6th Aug – USA, Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
8th Aug – USA, San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands
9th Aug – USA, Sacramento, CA – Channel 24 (w/ Mannequin Pussy) 
12th Aug – USA, Portland, OR – Polaris Hall
13th Aug – USA, Vancouver, BC, Biltmore Cabaret
14th Aug: USA, Seattle, WA – Madame Lou’s
2nd Oct – Norway, Oslo – John Dee
3rd Oct – Sweden, Stockholm – Nalen Klubb
5th Oct – Denmark, Copenhagen – Vega Small Room
6th Oct – Germany, Hamburg – Nochtspeicher
7th Oct – Germany, Berlin – Lido
9th Oct – Italy, Milan – Arci Bellezza
10th Oct – Switzerland, Zurich – Bogen F 
11th Oct – France, Paris – La Maroquinerie
13th Oct – Belgium, Brussels – Botanique 
14th Oct – Netherlands, Amsterdam – Melkweg Old Hall
15th Oct – France, Lille – L’Aeronef
18th Oct – United Kingdom, Manchester – Academy 2
19th Oct – United Kingdom, Sheffield – The Foundry 
20th Oct – United Kingdom, Glasgow – SWG3 TV Studio
22nd Oct – United Kingdom, Bristol – Bristol Electric
23rd Oct – United Kingdom, Cardiff – Tramshed
24th Oct – United Kingdom, Birmingham – XOYO
26th Oct – United Kingdom, Brighton – Chalk
28th Oct – United Kingdom, London  – O2 Forum Kentish Town 
31st Oct – Ireland, Dublin – 3Olympia  
1st Nov – Ireland, Cork – Cyprus Avenue 
2nd Nov – Ireland, Galway – Leisureland 
4th Nov – United Kingdom, Belfast  – Mandela Hall