Hear Me Out: NewDad are the perfect band to write the next ‘James Bond’ theme
The James Bond movie franchise can often be a divisive one. While 007 has been the focal point of blockbusters for decades, looking back, some of the films are problematic. In the modern age, while films try to iron out those problems, they have become a bit predictable and run down. It feels as though excitement for Bond films continues to dwindle; however, one aspect of the movie that continues to excite audiences and that has aged most timelessly is the iconic theme songs.
It seems that now, when a new James Bond movie is announced, people are just as excited about who will be performing the theme song as they are about the movie title and plot. In previous years, the biggest stars in the world, including Billie Eilish, Sam Smith, and Adele, have provided the theme song for Bond movies.
It’s hard to strike the right balance when making a James Bond song. They must be cinematic and stunning; after all, they will be played in a cinema against an intense and stylish backdrop of a spy doing what spies do. However, it feels as though many Bond songs feel a bit too distant from the movie. While they might sound pretty, they are also too shrouded in glamour, with strings and brass sections that feel a long way from the covert life of a man whose job it is to get shot at.
More bands should be in charge of writing James Bond themes. When you have a rock group in charge of something like this, you know that they have the potential to produce a large sound, given that it’s rooted in the foundation of a live band. There is also an added element of grit that feels much more fitting for modern Bond movies that try to sell themselves as a more realistic account of what it could be like to be a spy.
NewDad have been going from strength to strength recently, and when you listen to their music, it’s easy to see why. Listening to their album Madra, which only came out this year, it’s hard to believe that it’s a debut. The songwriting and production of the album are so well-executed that it sounds like a band who have been through decades together. Praise for the band isn’t hard to come by; it’s been catalogued by music publications and is reflected in the ever-increasing size of the band’s audiences; however, one comment which is yet to be made is how they would be the perfect band to write the next Jame Bond theme.
Stay with me. There is a genuine element of glamour to the NewDad’s music. The sweet-sounding harmony in all of their songs is akin to some of the recent Bond themes we’ve had. If you were to just listen to the band’s vocals, then you wouldn’t argue that their strength is enough to provide the perfect backdrop for a future Bond title card.
What separates them from previous Bond theme providers is their instrumentation’s gritty, distorted feel, but that’s precisely what a James Bond theme should have. This has been done (in a sense) in the past, thanks to Jack White’s over-the-top rock offering on ‘Another Way To Die’, but the grit needs to be delivered in a way much more subtle than that. The grimy nature of Bond’s life follows him around regardless, like a shadow, so the representation of that in the music should be similar. NewDad can provide this perfectly, as their style isn’t over the top; it’s grounded, but there is an element of heaviness to it simultaneously.
Variations of songs such as ‘Where I Go’ would be perfect for a Bond theme, and it would be exciting to see production studios go for something in a slightly different direction the next time around. With a new Bond on the horizon and a constant push to break into a new style of storytelling, why not alter the music that goes alongside it, too?
