NewDad have shared a new song, ‘Kick the Curb’ written with Liam McCay aka Donegal slowcore artist Sign Crushes Motorist / Dead Calm.
It’s the first music from Julie Dawson, Sean O’Dowd and Fiachra Parslow since Altar, their second album released via Atlantic Records in September 2025 – and notably, it arrives independently, a signal of a significant change in the band’s situation.
The band recently announced via Instagram that they had parted ways with Atlantic Records, posting a statement to fans explaining the decision. The details of exactly what that looks like going forward remain to be seen, but ‘Kick the Curb’, released directly to Bandcamp without a label, suggests they’re moving quickly on their own terms. Given that Altar was in many ways their most confident and expansive statement to date, the prospect of what comes next without major label machinery behind them is an interesting one.
Julie from the band said on Instagram:
A lot has changed in the past few months, in December I asked our record label to let us go, we needed a fresh start. I had become very disillusioned, struggling with my identity when it came to NewDad and the music. I knew I needed to take control and make a move even if it poses a big risk in the current climate of the music industry. We want to thank the people at Atlantic Records UK that put time and effort into NewDad and say that we wouldn’t have been able to do what we have the past two years without them. This is just a move we had to make.
“Since doing that I knew we made the right decision and have felt very happy, fulfilled and self assured about the music we’re making, Kick The Curb being one of many that we can’t wait to share. For now we will be independently releasing our new music and are really excited to share more with you over the coming months. It feels special, nostalgic and exactly like us. Ye are the reason we get to do this and we hope to see some of you on the road in North America this month.
‘Kick The Curb’ was produced and co-written by Liam Mc Cay aka Sign Crushes Motorist who they say is “an unbelievably talented artist and producer who we deeply admire”.
When NewDad signed to Atlantic for Madra, she was unapologetic about the ambition: “I guess we just didn’t want to stay in the indie world forever, and be an ‘underground band’ forever. We believe in our music, and we think if it reaches enough people it could be something really big.”
Altar was written over the last two years after leaving Galway for London, the anguish of that move sometimes explored in the lyrics along with relationships, homesickness, ambition and sacrifice “and finds the trio grappling with the life they left behind in exchange for the promise of chasing their dreams”.
The band play Coachella over the next two weekends.
‘Kick the Curb’ is out now on Bandcamp.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
