NEW TRACK: NewDad – ‘Angel’

A magnetic, heady guitar tune exploring noxious behaviours in romantic relationships, Galway alt-rock four piece NewDad have shared their latest single ‘Angel’. Taken from their upcoming debut album, Madra, which is set for release on 26th January 2024 via Fair Youth/Atlantic Records, the track is inspired by the destructive relationship between characters Rue and Jules in hit TV show Euphoria.

Initially guided by the sounds of Pixies, The Cure and Slowdive, NewDad blend cinematic influences with personal epiphanies to create their bittersweet shoegaze sounds. Their debut full length record Madra – which means “dog” in Irish – is a culmination of these inspirations, centered around reflections on self-sabotage, self-medication and depression, whilst finding catharsis in being openly vulnerable about these issues.

Written in their home city of Galway, before the band relocated to London this year, Madra was produced by NewDad’s long-time collaborator Chris W Ryan (Just Mustard) and mixed by Alan Moulder (The Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Wet Leg). Vocalist and guitarist Julie explains more about the themes behind the band’s upcoming record: “Madra explores various difficult parts of the human condition and the idea of the title is that these feelings that come up are sometimes ones you can’t escape – feelings that follow you around like a dog. We had an amazing team around us who helped bring these songs to life and we’re so excited for this album to be out in the world. We hope that people connect with the songs and that Madra can be a comfort to everyone who listens.”

Opening single ‘Angel’ is a culmination of these elements. Fuelled by hypnotic riffs, brooding bass lines and Julie’s distinctive, lullaby-like vocals, it’s a melodic musing on the spiralling nature of toxic romance. Listen to ‘Angel’ below.

NewDad UK & Ireland Tour Dates 2023 & 2024
1 Dec 2023 – Galway, Roisin Dubh
24 Feb 2024 – Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall
25 Feb 2024 – Manchester, Band On The Wall
26 Feb 2024 – Glasgow, St Luke’s
28 Feb 2024 – Dublin, Button Factory
2 March 2024 – Birmingham, O2 Institute
3 March 2024 – Bristol, Trinity
5 March 2024 – London, Koko

Follow NewDad on bandcamp, Spotify, TikTok, Twitter (X), Facebook & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zyanya-Lorenzo

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: shaene – ‘sad’

A dreamy, melancholic rumination on a dark and complicated time, Leeds-based songwriter shaene has shared her latest single ‘sad’. Taken from her self-produced debut album, time lost / time regained, which is set for release on 1st September, the track is a reflection on the songwriter’s feelings of intense self doubt and alienation, filtered through a soft, shoegazey lens.

Having spent years writing and performing in multiple DIY bands across Yorkshire, shaene has been embedded in the Leeds DIY community for a number of years. She’s supported acts such as Lande Hekt and M(h)aol under her new moniker, but now she’s preparing to release her first full length solo record.

Starting life as a bedroom project during lockdown, before developing into a full band, shaene’s time lost / time regained is an album that’s inspired by her own experiences as a trans woman, her neurodivergency and the depth of emotions that surround these aspects of her life. Her new single ‘sad’ touches on these themes and gives listeners a poignant first hint at what the full album will sound like.

“‘sad’ is about being lodged in a deep depression, convinced that everybody would be better off without you around,” shaene explains. Her intimate, confessional lyrics are accompanied by considered, shimmering instrumentation that helps to ease the pain of the alienation that initially inspired the track. shaene’s willingness to share these thoughts is what makes her music so earnest and inspiring, and we look forward to hearing more from the songwriter in the lead up to her debut album release.

Listen to ‘sad’ below.

Follow shaene on bandcamp, Spotify & Instagram

Photo Credit: shaene

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Heart Shaped – ‘Felt’

An effervescent, uplifting offering full of soothing vocals, hazy guitar sounds and tender lyrics, Heart Shaped has shared her latest single ‘Felt’. Following on from her previous release ‘No Contact’, the Houston-born, now Belfast-based songwriter has provided her listeners with another cinematic slice of dream pop, inspired by the self-deception that can underpin some romantic relationships.

Influenced by the likes of Selena Quintanilla, The Cars, Orange Juice, Faye Wong and Go Sailor, Heart Shaped creates bittersweet, heart-on-sleeve tunes that give a rose-tinted sheen to life’s more affecting moments. “It feels like a movie” she sings at the beginning of new single ‘Felt’, before gently unraveling her thoughts about the duplicitous nature of a tumultuous relationship. Her reflections are softened by a disco-inflected backbeat and shimmering synths, with her vocals delicately floating above both.

Produced and recorded by Declan Legge at Analogue Catalogue studios, ‘Felt’ is accompanied by a music video, shot and directed by Jamie Neish (Broken Film) in the beautifully retro Belfast working men’s club. The video pays homage to many of Heart Shaped’s passions and interests, including Houston punk legends the Mydolls in the film Paris, Texas, the movie Goodfellas and Sade’s expansive visual catalogue.

With the help of her bandmates Kendall Bousquet, John Ahern, Rónán McQuillan, Amy Nolan and Shannon O’Neill, and with the support of Belfast’s Kickstart Programme and Chordblossom, 2023 looks set to be a bright year for Heart Shaped.

Watch the video for ‘FELT’ below.

Follow Heart Shaped on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Aaron Cunningham

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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EP: Dayydream – ‘Bittersweet’

A tender reflection on the transient nature of emotions and our attachments to other people, Glasgow-based songwriter Chloe Trappes aka Dayydream has self-released her debut EP, Bittersweet. Filled with delicate guitar strokes, dreamy vocals and affecting lyrics, Trappes ruminates on distance and desire across five tracks, and the way these things can shift our perspective towards ourselves, and to others over time.

Influenced by the likes of Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Mazzy Star, Neil Young and Slowdive, Trappes creates music under her Dayydream moniker to distract herself, but simultaneously explore the troubled state of mind she craves relief from. “I’d do anything / to keep hold of that feeling” she reveals on Bittersweet‘s tender opening track ‘Disintegrate’, clinging to a moment that has already passed. Her soft guitar picking compliments the “up and down” nature of the tumultuous mood she describes in the song.

An aching melancholy underscores the poignant ‘Wasn’t’, which reflects on the pain of leaving behind someone who isn’t good for you. The rainfall sound effect that seeps in and out of the song enhances the feelings of isolation Trappes sings of, and bleeds into the equally as confessional ‘How Lonely’. Whilst the lyrics in these tracks can be dispiriting, Trappes’ calm, clear vocals and considered, dreamy instrumentation prevent them from feeling too heavy. She relies on her dream-pop tendencies to soften the sharpness of her observations, with the gloomy but graceful ‘Cursed’ epitomising this outlook.

“Daydreaming can be a positive or a negative,” Trappes comments on the inspiration behind her moniker. “It can be a way to invent an imagined universe, a safe place to stay sane and distracted from the chaos of the real world. However, it can also cause a person to retreat, creating a disconnect in their lives.” On closing track ‘Sweet Release’, Trappes beautifully balances these conflicting states, yearning for escape and relief, whilst feeling overwhelmed by the reality of being “so broken” at the time of writing.

An intuitive, affecting collection of songs that drift through the exquisite highs and intangible lows we experience on the path towards emotional resilience, Dayydream’s debut EP is a comforting and blissful ode to feeling in all of its intensity.

Follow Dayydream on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Eléonore Marty-Guiraud

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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