Words by Mina Wang
From addressing themes of unrequited love to mental health, it is no surprise that alt-rock quartet NewDad has been called “a band who make music to cry to.” However, the atmosphere was far from gloomy when the London-based, Galway-born band returned to Manchester on their UK/EU tour in support of their debut album, MADRA (released on January 26).
Composed of vocalist/guitarist Julie Dawson, bassist Cara Joshi, guitarist Sean O’Dowd, and drummer Fiachra Parslow, NewDad brought their dreamy melancholy to a sold-out show at the 500-capacity venue Band on the Wall.
NewDad has seen an impressive amount of success since their 2020 debut, signing onto Atlantic Records last year. Formed more or less spontaneously as a way to avoid performing solo during practical music exams in college, Newdad and their shoegaze sound has found favour with alt-rock fans of all ages – as evidenced by the diverse range of audience members present at Band on the Wall.
An hour after doors, the venue was moderately full yet still comfortably subdued; this would change, however, when supporting band The Love Buzz hopped onto the stage at 8pm. Formed in 2017, The Love Buzz is a Corkian trio consisting of vocalist Kieran Hurley, bassist Aidan Lynch, and drummer Henry Love. Bouncing on their toes, they were as incongruous in their playfully mismatched clothing (which ranged from studded leather jackets to crochet cardigans) as they were united by their long hair, reminiscent of psychedelic rock bands of the 70s.
Opening with track ‘Here Comes The Scum’, their fashion was clearly not the only thing influenced by psych-rock. Stylistically, they combined elements of old-school indie pop and punk rock with tongue-in-cheek lyrics (about, say, getting beat up outside Sainsbury’s on their aptly named track, ‘Sainsbury’s’). Altogether, The Love Buzz seemed intent on stopping at nothing to energise the crowd—to the doubtless delight of one audience member, who was handed a beer from the stage. After this short, but sweet opener, the night of Irish appreciation continued with Fontaines D.C. playing over the speakers whilst the crowd eagerly awaited NewDad’s appearance.
A reverential hush fell over the crowd when, at 9pm on the dot, NewDad strolled onto the stage. Awash in red neon, the band set up its instruments as Aphex Twin’s ethereal ‘#3’ played in the background before transitioning seamlessly into MADRA single ‘Angel’. As a track, ‘Angel’ brings everything deep, dark, and moody about NewDad to the fore, and embodies the shoegaze character that has arguably helped popularise the band through Gen-Z’s revived interest in the genre.
This was followed by their melancholy pre-album hit ‘Slowly’ (Waves EP), whose similarly dark bass line acted as a natural transition from ‘Angel’. In keeping with the EP’s title, the reverb-soaked guitars, paired with the hazy, fluid lights rippling through the venue, gave one the impression of listening from the inside of an aquarium.
Next up after the shyly plaintive ‘Dream of Me’ and the jangly, Cranberries-esque guitars on MADRA lead single ‘In My Head’ came the jilted-lover-duo of ‘Say It’ and ‘Nightmares’. Playing these songs back to back helped cobble some of Dawson’s most heart-wrenching lyrics into a single narrative (“No, I don’t want to say it / ‘Cause you won’t want to say it back”; “I hope you’re in my nightmares / ‘Cause to dream of you is unfair”.) Though unrequited love is a common theme in NewDad’s music, every song tackles the subject with a varying degree of hope, drawing listeners in with ‘Say It’’s uptempo guitars – and pushing them away with minor-key defeat in ‘Nightmares’.
On a less positive note, several tracks were beset by technical difficulties, with the sound cutting off for mic and guitar during MADRA singles ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Let Go,’ the problem surfacing again once or twice throughout the show. This was unfortunate, as the singles are clear fan favourites; however, the audience was ultimately supportive, cheering and whistling to fill in silences as the tech team scrambled to restore the audio. The band rolled with the punches, offering an apologetic smile here and there but remaining confident and refusing to let these issues disrupt the show—after all, shoegaze is in its essence an ‘imperfect’ genre, characterised by low fidelity and an inherent “anti-performativity.’’
Indeed, NewDad’s success has often been framed within the context of the wider ‘shoegaze revival’ phenomenon. This is no surprise, considering the band has previously cited shoegaze icons such as Slowdive, Lush, and Curve, and alt-rock bands like Pixies and The Cure as big influences on its work.
This is not to say, however, that NewDad deserves no credit for its considerable success; while it borrows some distinctive sounds from its 80s/90s predecessors, together, Dawson’s vulnerable lyrics and the pared-back, less ‘noisy’ instrumentals of her bandmates create a modern sound that appeals to fans of the ‘original’ shoegaze and its Gen-Z disciples alike.
With a piece of white cloth tied around her guitar, Dawson’s wistful vocals truly put the dream in dream-pop, before rounding off the evening with the titular ‘Madra’— meaning ‘dog’ in Irish. Although NewDad may be “music to cry to,” it is lyrics like ‘Madra’’s that remind us that every once in a while, it is alright to wallow: “…even if it’s only temporary / It feels nice to be a little bit empty.”
NewDad will be continuing to tour in the UK and Ireland until March 5.
