FEATURE:
Spotlight
NewDad
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I have been meaning to…
include the brilliant Irish band, NewDad, on my site for a while. They are definitely one of 2021’s names to look out for. I am a fan of what they are doing…and I think they are making music that is so engaging and brilliant! I am going to bring in a few interviews to help give some background regarding NewDad but, when it comes to last year, they definitely caught the public attention and were pretty productive – despite a lack of gigs and opportunities to get their music out there like they’d hoped! NewDad are an Irish foursome comprising vocalist and rhythm guitarist Julie Dawson, bassist Áindle O’Beirn, lead guitarist Sean O’Dowd and drummer Fiachra Parslow. I think they have the potential to dominate this year. Songs like I Don’t Recgonise You are so dreamy and addictive. In terms of that more laidback vocal sound, I sort of think about, maybe, The Sundays, or a band like that. Really, one cannot compare NewDad with anyone else, yet I have always been fond of a smokier and more sensuous sound. Among the dreamy vocals is a definite sharpness and urgency that acts as a perfect balance. The first interview I want to bring in is from CLASH. They spoke with the band in November and they discussed, among other things, the fact lockdown means this rising force cannot get out to the people:
““It’s kind of hard to believe it’s all real, especially with how everything is right now where we can’t go out and play gigs. We’re in our own little bubble here and it just feels like a dream.” This is how lead singer and guitarist of NewDad, Julie Dawson, described her band’s sharp rise to acclaim following the release of their single ‘Blue’ earlier this year.
The four-piece, made up of Áindle O’Beirn (Bass), Sean O’Dowd (Guitar), Fiachra Parslow (Drums) and Julie, are currently living together under Tier 5 lockdown restrictions imposed across their entire home country, Ireland.
Having formed while still at school, and going on to play what the band describe as “many terrible, terrible gigs,” Fiachra explains that going through this process allowed the band to grow to where they are now. “That’s kind of why we took so long to release music,” Sean explains, “because we didn’t want to put anything out there and then be embarrassed. We really wanted to make sure we had a concrete sound down that, we thought, really expressed who we were.”
‘Good things come to those who wait…’ so the saying goes, and with NewDad it seems to have worked wonders. The band are also similarly patient when it comes to their collaborative creative process. “When we get stuck on songs, we leave them,” Fiachra mentions. “Then we can come back to them on shitty phone recordings like two months later and play them differently… that’s how some of our bad songs turned good”.
It is a shame for every new artist that was hoping to make 2021 a big one. Things will start to return to normal in time but, right now, so many are raring to go and cannot put their music into the world. I think that NewDad, despite restrictions, will achieve a lot.
I want to switch to an interview from DIY. NewDad talked about the music scene in their native Galway, and what they want to accomplish this year:
“Who were some artists that inspired you when you were just starting out (and why)?
Big inspirations for us when we started out were The Cure and the Pixies. At the start we covered all of their songs and basically wrote worse versions of their greatest hits.
You’re from Galway! What do you think of the music scene there at the moment?
Tome. There’s a huge music scene in Galway. There’s always buskers to watch or gigs to go to in venues like the Roisin Dubh and some great bands like our friends Turnstiles.
Are there any other artists breaking through at the same time that you take inspiration from?
Just Mustard were a huge inspiration to us. It’s amazing to see a band from Ireland with such a unique sound and seeing them open for The Cure was inspiring, and a very good show.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Charli XCX would be the dream to work with. She’s an inspiration and one of the hardest working and most business savvy people in the music industry today. And she makes banging tunes.
Musically or otherwise, what are you most looking forward to next year?
The warm embrace of another human being. We’re also really excited to be releasing our debut EP in early 2021 and hopefully getting to play our music live for all the lovely people that have supported us already”.
There are a couple of other interviews that I want to source from. When they spoke with NOT BAD, the band were asked about socially distanced gigs – something that might be possible relatively soon so that artists can at least play live:
“I was at your seated and socially distant gig in the Roisin Dubh and I was surprised at how natural it felt. After a couple of songs I had honestly forgotten about the unusual circumstances. Did it feel natural for you and are you planning on more gigs this year?
Fiachra: Well at first it definitely was a bit weird seeing everyone sitting, especially since some of the new songs we played are a lot more upbeat and dancey than our usual songs. After a few songs though, like you said, it did feel more comfortable and we just got stuck into the tracks. It was nice as well to see that some people wanted to be up dancing and were stopping themselves.
Unlike most artists, you seem to have really kicked on since the start of lockdown. Do you have any advice for musicians trying to adapt to the current situation?
Sean: Yeah for sure, lockdown has been good to us in the sense it has given us the time to work on writing and getting our music to people. For other artists, I would say just keep working. Never give up. Times are bleak, and some people’s situations are worse than others, but don’t stop doing what you’re doing. Now is a great time to work on new music, connect with people in the industry, learn about marketing and gain new skills. It’ll all be worth it after because then you can come out with a bang!”.
I will wrap up soon but, as last year was a strange and stressful one for all artists, many will be looking ahead to the summer and hopes of improvement. I am not sure when NewDad can get back in action, but they did manage to accomplish a lot in 2020. When they spoke with The Rodeo, they reflected on a difficult-yet-successful year:
“What was your highlight of 2020, musical or otherwise?
The whole year has been such a highlight for us with all the support we have received for all of our releases so far. We really weren’t expecting to reach so many people with our music, being such a new band, and we have been so overwhelmed with the love we have received. The biggest highlight for us this year was getting to play a live set for Steve Lamacq over in BBC Radio 6 and really for all the love and support he and the BBC have shown us.
You each put together Spotify playlists containing your individual influences, right? Whose playlist is the best, and how crucial is social media and streaming platforms in increasing that connection with your fans, allowing them to see what music you’ve been listening to instantly?
We all have very different Spotify playlists and we each think our own is best, but I suppose that’s just down to personal preference. Different people with completely different music tastes could visit our Spotify profile and find something they like in our playlists and that’s what we try to emulate in our music.
Things like Spotify, Instagram and Twitter are really important because not only can the fans see what we are listening to, but they can also get a good idea of our personalities and humour and we think that’s very important in creating a bond with our fans”.
Make sure you follow and support the amazing NewDad. They are certainly one of this year’s most-promising artists and, ahead of an E.P. arriving, check out the stunning music they released last year. I have high hopes for the Galway band – this is definitely reflected in the music media. As a lot of people have said: NewDad are so engaging and fascinating that they have the potential to be everybody’s…
FAVOURITE new band.
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