Photo by Zyanya Lorenzo
A month since the release of their debut album, MADRA, NewDad has taken the music scene by storm with their alt-indie shoegaze sound. MADRA takes listeners on an immersive journey of self-exploration, self-sabotage, and reflection, led by the evocative vocals and compelling guitar work of singer and guitarist Julie Dawson. The album delves into themes of self-medication/depression, destruction, codependency, and resistance, offering a powerful exploration of finding solace amidst pain. The Galway band has solidified their promising sound and image with rave reviews from THE FADER, Rolling Stone UK, and NME. On behalf of Unpublished, I had the exciting opportunity to sit down with the band’s lead singer, Julie Dawson, to dive into the world of NewDad.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Congratulations on the release of your album MADRA. NewDad is rising quickly in the music scene, and I would love to get to know more about who NewDad is. So first, where did the band name come from?
[JULIE]: It was a random band name generator. We wanted to release music, and we decided that most band names are probably bad until they are a successful band. So, we were looking for anything that was kind of acceptable, and at that time everyone had "Mom," "Dad,” or “Uncle” in their name. We thought this was trendy, and we stuck with it then.
[UNPUBLISHED]: How would you describe your sound to someone who has not listened to your music yet?
[JULIE]: I would say it's sad alt rock with some shoegaze inspiration and some grunge. We love grunge, and that is what got us into making music—all those 90’s bands. People like the Pixies and The Cure.
[UNPUBLISHED]: MADRA has been out for a few weeks now. What has this experience been like for you guys, and what are you looking forward to most in the near future?
[JULIE]: It's been mad. A lot of MADRA is that we basically picked the best bits from the past three years. Some of it was written when we were in Galway, and some of it was written after we moved to London. I guess it's weird then because all that really old work we forgot about and we sat with it and got to the point of “ah whatever” and we don't really care anymore, and then with the album out has given it a new lease of life. It is nice now to see other people enjoying it, and it gives us a new appreciation for the work that has gone into it. So, it's been really good, and now it's going to be touring with the album, and that is going to be mad. We are playing our biggest shows everywhere.
[UNPUBLISHED]: From NewDad’s first EP, Waves to “Banshee' and now your latest album, MADRA, what has the journey been like for the band as you have been developing your sound?
[JULIE]: It's been interesting. I think when we first started releasing, we knew what kind of music we wanted to make and we knew we wanted to be in that dreamy world, but I guess that did change a lot when making the album. I think we wanted to be a bit more ambitious because there is so much indie music and we did not want to get lost in the wave of new indie artists. We wanted something a bit bolder and louder. That made us want to do a more rock-styled album. It made sense how MADRA turned out because it was those rock albums that made us want to be in a band. We weren't always indie kids. I am really pleased with the outcome, and I never thought we would come out with something so loud. I am glad it changed, and there are still indie moments on the album, but it is just a bit louder and more confident.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The album dives into various themes of vulnerability and self-reflection. What was the songwriting process like for this album?
[JULIE]: I wrote a lot of it in Galway, and we thought we might have had an album. However, it didn't feel exciting, and I think we needed to move to London. We moved from a small town in Ireland, and our first few months in London were like "raaahh,” and it inspired a lot of creativity. We needed a change of scenery and to experience new things. It was very therapeutic, and there were times when it was easy and there were times when it wasn't. One of my favorites on the album is White Ribbons, and that was when I was having a bad day, but writing helped so much to make sense of what I was feeling and make it tangible. It was very cathartic, and when we got to bring them into the studio and make them big and loud, that felt really good.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What sparked that move to London?
[JULIE]: Everyone we were working with was in London, and we were kind of thinking about how we had been in Galway our whole lives, and we wanted to be more ambitious, and we felt like there were not many opportunities for us in Galway. It felt like it was what needed to happen to be a part of the world that we wanted to be a part of. I don't know if that is still true now because the scene in Galway is incredible, and it is always getting better in Ireland. I think London is where we need to be to get as much experience as we can.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Are there any memorable moments within the process that make this album special?
[JULIE]: I would say recording it in Rockfield. In the lead-up to recording the album, we would watch documentaries and read loads of stuff about Rockfield online. It was very magical and surreal to get there and drive up the long driveway. It instantly felt like home, and being in the countryside, writing music, and being in the studio was amazing. When we weren't so busy and had a minute to look around and appreciate it, we were like, this is actually so cool that we are here. It was the highlight of the year for me, for sure.
[UNPUBLISHED]: The visualizers are a fun and unique touch. Can you talk more about the idea behind them and what it was like to make them?
[JULIE]: We aren't great about visuals and visual identity as a band because when you get into a band, you aren't thinking about your look; it's more about the music. We started working with these two guys, Zack and Ollie, and it was crazy. We obviously knew it was important, but we did not know how to go about it. It felt like they really brought the world of MADRA to life. We had the album, we had the songs, and they made the perfect imagery to accompany it and make more sense of the world. We did a few music videos, and the last of the visualizers that we released when the album came out were based around the seven deadly sins.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What has it been like signing with Atlantic?
[JULIE]: It's been really good. We did a virtual signing when we were in Rockfield. We were like, this is crazy that we just signed to a major label, and then we continued making the record. It has been hard to take a step back and look at our achievements. Also it has been great having a team of people to help us be ambitious and achieve our goals. We get to focus more on the music now and not be so concerned about everything else.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What do you hope resonates most with your fans from your new album?
[JULIE]: I want people to bring back messy women. You are allowed to mess up and sit with those feelings. Most of the album is about self-reflection and those moments where I have not been good, and it's ok to feel that. You are only human, and you should not feel alone in moments where you do not feel your best. It is part of life and it is about living and learning. I hope people feel less alone.
[UNPUBLISHED]: Can fans expect a US tour?
[JULIE]: We have nothing in the works right now, but we really want to. We need to be able to do loads of shows and bash it all out. We are dying to do a US tour, hopefully soon. It would be great to get a US support slot because we haven't been able to play anywhere there except Texas at SXSW.
