NewDad will headline at Manchester’s Band on the Wall following the recent release of their debut album Madra.
The Manchester gig is one of 7 UK and Ireland dates the Galway-formed band are headlining.
The Irish alt/rock collective released Madra in January through Fair Youth/Atlantic. The 11-song album was followed on from their much acclaimed EPs Waves (2021) and Banshee (2022).
The album features the previously released singles In My Head and Angel, the grunge-fuelled opener.
Madra (meaning “dog” in Irish) features 11 tracks of self-exploration, self-sabotage and reflection. There’s dysfunction, pain, bullying, depression, self-medication and resistance amongs the songs penned by singer/guitarist Julie Dawson. The album finds NewDad reconnect with their musical roots, digging deep into the shoegaze/rock sonics that soundtracked their formative years (the band cite Pixies, The Cure and Slowdive as some of their biggest early influences), together with glimmers of indie/pop that harks back to their earlier material.
Speaking about the album, Julie Dawson said, “Madra meaning dog in Irish explores various difficult parts of the human condition and the idea of the title is that these feelings that come up are sometimes ones you can’t escape, feelings that follow you around like a dog. We had an amazing team around us who helped bring these songs to life and we’re so excited for this album to be out in the world. We hope that people connect with the songs and that Madra can be a comfort to everyone who listens.”
When do NewDad headline at Manchester’s Band on the Wall?
NewDad headline at Band on the Wall Manchester on 25 February 2024. The Manchester gig is one of seven UK and Ireland dates they are headlining:
24 February – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
25 February – Manchester, Band on the Wall
26 February – Glasgow, St Luke’s
28 February – Dublin, Button Factory
2 March – Birmingham, O2 Institute
3 March – Bristol, Trinity
5 March – London, Koko
Image of NewDad courtesy Zyanya Lorenzo
