NEWDAD KICKS OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN LOS ANGELES
THE TROUBADOUR — LOS ANGELES, CA
Irish indie rock band NewDad kicked off their North American tour at the historic Troubadour in Los Angeles on July 30th. The Galway-born three-piece formed in 2018 and today consists of Julie Dawson on guitar and vocals, Sean O’Dowd on guitar, and Fiachra Parslow on drums. What began as a school project, with a moniker pulled from a random band name generator, has since led to a record deal, tours, a solid debut album, and another on the way. The band has steadily been growing into an international act on the rise. And just last week, while playing to a packed house, the Galway-based group known for their blend of introspective lyricism and grungy guitar tones, made quite the impression on their American fans.
With fans eagerly pressing towards them, the band made their way to the stage through dimmed lights before jumping into “Sickly Sweet”, a tone-setting track off of their 2024 debut album MADRA. NewDad dove further into MADRA throughout the show, playing crowd favorite “Angel”, as well as “Nosebleed”, a shoegaze-y standout from the album, and of course the title track “Madra”, which closes the record.
When performing new tracks like “Entertainer” and “Puzzle”—both featured on the Safe EP released in May of this year—the band fulfilled their promise to tour their upcoming sophomore album, Altar. Both songs appear on the track list for Altar alongside “Roobosh”, an angrier single which the band used to close out the show during their encore. Altar was formally announced in July and is set to release on September 19th. But beyond promises, the newest singles offered a glimpse into the band’s sonic evolution and building momentum just a year and a half after the release of MADRA.
If their performance at the Troubadour is any indication, the North American leg of their tour is off to an invigorating start. With a balanced set packed with vulnerability and energy, the band is more than prepared to take on the world—or in this case, a world tour. NewDad will continue across North America throughout August before heading to Europe in the fall, with dates in the EU during October, followed by shows across Ireland and the UK through November. Their sophomore album Altar, out September 19th, gives fans plenty to look forward to as the band continues to tease its potential on the road.
