There’s a heaviness to the music, which the band pin to a love of The Cure, Pixies, and Slowdive among others, that transcends local scenes orlanguages. But it’s not just in the feedback that NewDad find their truth, Julie’s songwriting brings a subtlety to their sound, weaving personal relationships andinfluences from the worlds of literature and cinema to add depth. She explores these themes more closely on the band’s new EP Banshee, which wasmixed by legendary producer John Congleton. “When I was writing Waves I was out of school but looking back at experiences from that time,” Julie says of an EP that delves into “family, relationships,and all of the mistakes you make at that age.”The new music is brighter, something Julie pins on the excitement of moving in together as a band and working on the songs. “There’s a lightness to the songs and we’re moving in a more pop direction, too.”One song, Ladybird, was inspired by the Greta Gerwigmovie of the same name while the bittersweet jangle of Say It deals with the heartacheof being more interested in someone than they are in you. Other songs, including theepic and sprawling Spring, aremore inward looking and tackle the waves of anxiety living in the modern world can make feel inescapable. “I’ve written a lot of songs about dreams, sleep and restlessness. This past year has added a whole heap of pressure onto us so I’ve been doing a lot of talking through what’s going on in my mind.” Together these songs capture a moment in time for a band with big ambitions and a bright future they’re eager to chase down as quickly as possible.
In the short term NewDad are excited about getting out andperforming for the new fansthey have picked up in the past year. “I had no plan b and dropped out of college to make music because it’s the only thing that makes me happy,” Julie says. “Knowing that we get to do this all the time and that people are responding to it makes me feel complete.”Work has already begun on a debut album and the band harbor dreams of scoring amovie or TV series, too. All in their early 20s, the four members of NewDad are keen to explore and push themselves as far as they can go. They’re a band who work on a sensory level and where emotion is the boldest colour on their palette. The results are transportative as NewDad take you to an alien landscape dreamed up in the mostdomestic of locations: a house share in the west of Ireland. It’s a trick of subtle magic butone the band make look easy.NewDad make you believe.
