At the centre of that sound is singer and guitarist Julie Dawson. Her voice has a natural restraint that gives the songs an intimate quality. She often sounds as though she is working through a thought while singing it, leaving room for doubt, frustration and hesitation. That approach suits music concerned with the feelings people struggle to explain clearly. A vocal can remain soft while the instruments around it become increasingly unsettled, making the whole song feel emotionally charged without needing an exaggerated performance.

The guitars play a huge part in NewDad’s character. Some passages have a light, blurred quality, with notes hanging in the air. Elsewhere, distortion adds a roughness that makes the music feel heavier and more urgent. Underneath those layers, the bass and drums give the songs direction. That movement matters: even when the sound becomes hazy, there is usually a clear rhythm or melodic phrase keeping the listener connected. Their songs leave space for atmosphere while still offering something immediate to hold on to.

The early EPs *Waves* and *Banshee* introduced that balance of softness and unease. They provide a useful starting point for hearing how the band developed its identity, with tuneful guitar writing and vocals that draw the listener closer. There is a sense of emotional uncertainty running through the music, but the melodies make that uncertainty approachable. These are songs that can sit comfortably in the background before a particular change of chord or vocal phrase suddenly demands attention.

Their debut album, *Madra*, released in January 2024, gave those ideas more room to develop. Written in Galway before the band’s move to London and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales, it brought their sound into a fuller album setting. Its title means “dog” in Irish, and its writing explores difficult patterns of thought and behaviour, including self-doubt and self-sabotage. Those themes give the record an emotional thread that runs beneath the changing weight of the guitars.

What makes that approach effective is the way NewDad allow beauty and discomfort to exist in the same song. A melody can feel reassuring while the surrounding sound suggests that something remains unresolved. The music suits those moments when feelings refuse to settle into one clear category: wanting closeness while feeling withdrawn, recognising a problem while struggling to move beyond it, or replaying a conversation long after it has ended.

Their second album, *Altar*, arrived in September 2025, following the *Safe* EP. With Dawson, guitarist Sean O’Dowd and drummer Fiachra Parslow, the band continued developing the musical and emotional territory established on their debut. That progression gives their catalogue a sense of movement, with each release adding to the picture of a band learning how much it can express through its particular combination of voice, melody and guitar texture.

NewDad’s appeal lies in how naturally those elements fit together. There is weight in the louder passages and sensitivity in the quieter ones, with neither feeling detached from the songwriting. Their music gives uncertainty a sound: sometimes clouded, sometimes sharp, often beautiful, and rarely completely settled. For listeners drawn to thoughtful guitar music with an emotional undercurrent, they offer songs that become more absorbing as the smaller details begin to reveal themselves.