NewDad – Altar
Irish alt-rock trio NewDad release their much-anticipated second album, Altar, via Atlantic Records, alongside its focus track “Misery”
A song steeped in claustrophobia and inner conflict, “Misery” finds frontwoman Julie Dawson interrogating her own role in cycles of unhappiness. “It’s a song about how sometimes it’s easier to stay in a miserable and uncomfortable place rather than actually trying to make changes and improve your life,” she explains. “Basically, it’s easier to mope rather than to fix things. Lyrically, the drama is definitely heightened just because it felt like it had to be to match the energy of the song. I felt like I could have real fun with this one.”
Following the cathartic punch of “Roobosh,” the wistful tenderness of “Pretty,” and the self-doubt reckoning of “Everything I Wanted,” the arrival of “Misery” crystallizes the themes that run throughout Altar. Written across the aftermath of NewDad’s relocation from Galway to London, the record weighs sacrifice against ambition, and identity against survival.
For Dawson, Altar is both a love letter to Galway and a document of the emotional cost of leaving it behind. Speaking on the album, she adds: “Altar is an exploration of my relationship with home, of being a woman in the music industry, appeasing people, and making sacrifices in order to succeed. It’s about the difference between the peace and serenity of home versus the often suffocating nature of London,” she reflects. “The album itself is where I divulge my love for home. It’s the idea that Ireland is the altar and it’s the thing that I worship, in a way.”
Combining raw vulnerability with razor-sharp ambition, Altar finds the band – Julie Dawson (vocals/guitar), Sean O’Dowd (guitar), and Fiachra Parslow (drums) – shattering the boundaries laid during their 2024 debut Madra, expanding and evolving in both sound and emotional clarity. Where that record reflected on angsty teenage pasts, Altar ushers in a refreshing new era: new feelings, new realizations, and newfound confidence. Dawson’s sharp lyricism and heightened emotional clarity anchor the record, guiding NewDad to deliver their boldest and most confident statement yet. “I’ve learned to trust my gut on this record. I’ve learned to own who I am – messy and a bit awkward. And I don’t need anyone to tell me how to look, act, or feel.”
Produced by rising talent Shrink (Sam Breathwick), Altar deftly balances sparkling dream-pop with heavier, alt-rock textures – a sound that feels expansive, bright, and urgent. Its push-and-pull captures the emotional landscape Dawson inhabits: homesickness and healing (“Pretty”), rage and release (“Roobosh”), self-doubt and resilience (“Everything I Wanted” – co-written with long-term collaborator Justin Parker), and the surreal spirals of “Misery.” Altar rounds off a prolific period for Julie Dawson following the critical acclaim of NewDad’s 2024 debut album Madra, followed by her solo project Bottom Of The Pool to cement her growing status as an indie songwriting phenom.
Now, with Altar, NewDad are poised to ascend to new creative heights. Following their biggest-ever run of headline shows across China, Japan, and North America, the trio will take the album on the road this autumn for a UK/EU headline run, culminating in their largest London show yet at the O2 Forum Kentish Town. With the full line-up just announced, NewDad will also make their Coachella debut in April next year.
OCTOBER
2nd – Norway, Oslo – John Dee
3rd – Sweden, Stockholm – Nalen Klubb
5th – Denmark, Copenhagen – Vega Small Room
6th – Germany, Hamburg – Nochtspeicher
7th – Germany, Berlin – Lido
9th – Italy, Milan – Arci Bellezza
10th – Switzerland, Zurich – Bogen F
11th – France, Paris – La Maroquinerie
13th – Belgium, Brussels – Botanique
14th – Netherlands, Amsterdam – Melkweg Old Hall
15th – France, Lille – L’Aeronef
18th – United Kingdom, Manchester – Academy 2
19th – United Kingdom, Sheffield – The Foundry
20th – United Kingdom, Glasgow – SWG3 TV Studio
22nd – United Kingdom, Bristol – Bristol Electric
23rd – United Kingdom, Cardiff – Tramshed
24th – United Kingdom, Birmingham – XOYO
26th – United Kingdom, Brighton – Chalk
28th – United Kingdom, London – O2 Forum Kentish Town
31st – Ireland, Dublin – 3Olympia
NOVEMBER
1st – Ireland, Cork – Cyprus Avenue
2nd – Ireland, Galway – Leisureland
4th – United Kingdom, Belfast – Mandela Hall
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