CARDINALS RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM “MASQUERADE”

OUT TODAY ON SO YOUNG RECORDS

INSTORES THIS WEEK

TOURING UK & IRELAND IN MARCH

PHOTO CREDIT: STEVE GULLICK

Selected praise for Cardinals and “Masquerade”:

“The next great Irish band is here.”
Culture tips for 2026 – The Observer

“Indie’s next great storytellers.”
The Cover – NME

“Both tenderness and tension… deeply intimate – like being let in on something private.”
***** – DORK

“Praise Cardinals, punk romantics reclaiming Irish roots from the folk cabal.”
**** – Mojo

“One of the best rock debuts in years… brilliant.” – The Independent

“”Here is a band that can do it all, offering moments of light and dark to create something worthy of greatness.” – Rolling Stone UK

“A breath-taking debut album.” – CLASH

“A new take on Eighties alternative-rock: familiar yet fresh and exciting too.” **** – The Times

“Whether Cardinals become the next big band to come out of Ireland, only time will tell, but as of now they’re certainly making a strong case for it.”
**** – DIY

“Cork five-piece mix emotional, wracked rock with accordion and maudlin folk, shards of distortion bursting through the half-light… a fine debut.”
UNCUT

“Expect a sizeable cult following soon.”
**** – Record Collector

Cork’s Cardinals today proudly release their critically acclaimed debut album, “Masquerade”, via indie tastemakers So Young Records.

Frontman Euan Manning had to say the following about the album as a whole:

“The first album is daunting, but I feel like you’re not going to look at anything the same afterwards, artistically. The work that goes into it is an awful lot, and you’re putting a lot on the line in terms of vulnerability and opening ourselves up, emotionally. It’ll change whatever we decide to do next, musically or otherwise. I think it’ll have that effect on all of us.”

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” is available 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.

BUY ‘MASQUERADE’ 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.

This release week they are on a tour of in-stores (marked *) and next month, they will hit the road once more with a full set of UK & Irish headline dates in support of “Masquerade”.

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

Cardinals live:

12th February 2026 – Cork, Musiczone *
13th February 2026 – Dublin, Spindizzy *
14th February 2026 – Belfast, HMV *
15th February 2026 – Liverpool, Rough Trade *
16th February 2026 – Leeds, Jumbo *
17th February 2026 – Nottingham, Rough Trade *
18th February 2026 – London, Rough Trade East *
19th February – Brighton, Resident *
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