Irish alt-rock trio NewDad release their much-anticipated second album Altar today 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’ crystallises the themes running throughout Altar. Written in the aftermath of NewDad’s move from Galway to London, the album 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: “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 Dawson (vocals/guitar), Sean O’Dowd (guitar), and Fiachra Parslow (drums) expanding far beyond the groundwork of their 2024 debut Madra. Where that record reflected on angsty teenage pasts, Altar ushers in a bold new era - new feelings, new realizations, and newfound confidence.

“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 balances shimmering dream-pop with heavier alt-rock textures, its push-and-pull mirroring Dawson’s emotional landscape: homesickness and healing (‘Pretty’), rage and release (‘Roobosh’), self-doubt and resilience (‘Everything I Wanted’ - co-written with longtime collaborator Justin Parker), and the surreal spirals of ‘Misery.’ The record caps off a prolific period for Dawson, following NewDad’s breakthrough with Madra and her acclaimed solo project Bottom Of The Pool, cementing her reputation as one of indie’s most exciting new songwriters.

Since their debut single ‘How’ in 2020, NewDad have built a global reputation for their immersive alt-rock sound. Their debut album Madra saw them tour extensively across the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America, supporting heavyweights like Pixies, The War on Drugs, and Fontaines D.C., while earning more than 80 million streams and the admiration of Robert Smith.

With Altar, NewDad are poised for their biggest year yet. Fresh from their largest-ever headline runs across China, Japan, and North America, the band will bring the album to UK and European stages this autumn, including their biggest London headline show to date at the O2 Forum Kentish Town. Looking ahead, NewDad will also make their Coachella debut in April 2026, further cementing their place among alt-rock’s most vital rising voices.

NewDad 2025 UK Tour Dates

18th Oct - United Kingdom, Manchester - Academy 2
19th Oct - United Kingdom, Sheffield - The Foundry
20th Oct - United Kingdom, Glasgow - SWG3 TV Studio
22nd Oct - United Kingdom, Bristol - Bristol Electric
23rd Oct - United Kingdom, Cardiff - Tramshed
24th Oct - United Kingdom, Birmingham - XOYO
26th Oct - United Kingdom, Brighton - Chalk
28th Oct - United Kingdom, London - O2 Forum Kentish Town
31st Oct - Ireland, Dublin - 3Olympia
1st Nov - Ireland, Cork - Cyprus Avenue
2nd Nov - Ireland, Galway - Leisureland
4th Nov - United Kingdom, Belfast - Mandela Hall

NEWDAD RELEASE NEW ALBUM

RAYE RETURNS WITH NEW SINGLE AND 2026 HEADLINE TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT