Released: 19/09/25
NewDad, fronted by songwriter Julie Dawson, are a Galway alt-rock trio drawing on influences from The Cure and Pixies to Big Thief and Beabadoobee. Dawson’s lyrics, rich with imagery of water and religion, reflect both generational despair and the band’s West Coast Irish roots.
Their second album Altar cements them as Ireland’s next great guitar band—a grungey, alt-rock future classic that shifts from fury to fragile introspection. Following their acclaimed debut Madra, they’ve built a cult following and even earned praise from Robert Smith: “I liked the NewDad album, that’s been on in my car for a long time.”