Cardinals share new single ‘I Like You’

Cardinals | Photo Credit: Ariane Quignon

Selected praise for Cardinals:

"The next great Irish band is here."

The Observer

"Praise Cardinals, punk romantics reclaiming Irish roots from the folk cabal."

Mojo

"Indie's next great storytellers."

NME

"Impressively confident, swaggering indie-rock."

Stereogum

"It looks like another music giant could be about to step out of Ireland."

DIY

"Reminiscent of ‘Fables…’ era R.E.M. in places, it adds some folksy elements – the slight swing in the rhythm, the accordion notes – to the mixture. Open and organic, Cardinals seem confident enough to let their music breathe. A sign, perhaps, of the precocity of their live shows, or the naivety of youth."

CLASH

"Cork’s genre-defying Cardinals channel their city’s idiosyncrasies into a dizzying artistic revolution."

DORK

Cork's Cardinals start 2026 with a real sense of anticipation brewing around their debut album ‘Masquerade’. Ahead of its release via So Young Records on February 13th the band today share a final single, ‘I Like You’, a romantic, accordion-led track that has already become a live favourite in their recent sets.

Frontman Euan Manning had to say the following about their latest release:

“This is the first song we wrote with the album in mind. After a very long period of not working on anything we started and finished this some bright morning last February in our practice studio. It felt cathartic, a completely grounding moment after feeling slightly lost for months.

The first lyric is stripped/paraphrased from the tune 'My Funny Valentine'. I don't think it was written by Chet Baker but that's the version we know.”

These are emotionally expansive songs, some simmering with an undercurrent of violence, cynicism or fervent discontent (Anhedonia, The Burning of Cork, Barbed Wire) and others gleaming with a bright-eyed vulnerability. A vivid first half contrasts a darker second and crafts a record with a clear A-side and B-side. A nod to the band’s collective love of vinyl, that tonal shift takes its cue from a variety of expected and unexpected influences - from the brittle honesty of folk to the theatrical melodrama of goth-rock.

A band forged through both family and friendship - brothers Euan and Finn Manning, their cousin Darragh and their former schoolmates Oskar Gudinovic and Aaron Hurley - the five-piece have already positioned themselves at the vanguard of the Irish independent rock scene. And with "Masquerade", they have flung off any shackles to craft something entirely their own.

‘Masquerade’ will be released on all physical formats including a Rough Trade exclusive Galaxy vinyl, Retail and Artist store variants as well as CD and cassette (exclusively via the band's store). Those in Australia will also be able to order an exclusive edition via Impressed.

Pre-order 'Masquerade' here

Watch video for 'I Like You' here

The band have also seen songs from their self-titled debut EP appear in Netflix's new drama ‘House of Guinness’ and in EA Sport's popular ‘Skate’ series.

After 2025 live performances including Fontaines D.C.'s massive Finsbury Park all-dayer, supporting Wunderhorse twice in Dublin and a support The Pogues in Boston, the band co-headlined the So Young tour with Mên An Tol, supported NewDad on their UK dates and finished the year with a further headline tour of their own.

Following the album's release, they will hit the road once more with a a full set of UK & Irish headline dates in support of "Masquerade" in March.

The band will also return to the US in May to perform at Salt Lake City's Kilby Block Party.

Cardinals live:

5th March 2026 - Belfast, Ulster Sports Club
6th March 2026 - Cork, St Luke's
7th March 2026 - Dublin, The Workman's Club
10th March 2026 - Bristol, The Exchange
11th March 2026 - London, The Garage
13th March 2026 - Manchester, Yes (Pink Room)
14th March 2026 - Newcastle, The Grove
15th March 2026 - Glasgow, King Tut's
15th May - 17th May 2026 - Salt Lake City, Kilby Block Party, Utah

Cardinals
Masquerade
Out February 13th 2026
So Young Records

She Makes Me Real
St. Agnes
Masquerade
I Like You
Over At Last
Anhedonia
Barbed Wire
Big Empty Heart
The Burning of Cork
As I Breathe

Cardinals are:

Euan Manning - guitar and vocals
Oskar Gudinovic - guitar
Aaron Hurley - bass
Finn Manning - accordion
Darragh Manning - drums