AEG presents NEWDAD live at The Dome

The beauty and bite of NewDad’s debut album ‘Madra’ made the Galway band one of the biggest new hopes around. Bringing a youthful zest to storied influences such as Slowdive, The Cure and Cocteau Twins, their amalgamation of classic ‘90s aesthetics attracted a diverse and still-growing audience: teenagers throwing themselves around in the mosh pit with care-free abandon

Such scenes were replicated wherever they went, from Glastonbury to Radio 1’s Big Weekend and even into China. “I had never cried on stage, but I did in Shanghai,” grins vocalist/guitarist Julie Dawson as if he’s been transported back to that moment. “There were 1600 people singing back to us and I was like, what the fuck is going on? People were queuing for hours just to say hi. It was crazy.”

The tentpole moment of this first NewDad chapter came with a headline show at KOKO that was packed from wall-to-wall, from the dancefloor and into the venue’s ornate upper tiers. After playing to a visually arresting puppetry backdrop, they stepped off stage wowed by the moment - but also by what it could mean for their upcoming adventures. 

And NewDad’s future is now just a step away as they prepare to release their new EP ‘Safe’. It’s precisely what fans would want from their band: their core shoegaze/dream-pop sound elevated with a swaggering new self-confidence, a tight, masterly control of hooks, and broader touch points such as Pavement and Sonic Youth. In short: their ethereal elements feel more alluring than ever; the visceral moments are more selective and dynamic but hit just as hard; and their songs are simply a leap in sophistication beyond ‘Madra’.