CARDINAL BLACK Announce New Album
Midnight At The Valencia
Out May 23rd on Thirty Tigers
Brand New Single ‘Keep On Running’ – Out Now
Oct/Nov/Dec 2025 UK & EU Tour Dates Announced
Including London KOKO – Oct 30th
Tickets On Sale HERE – Friday, March 15th @ 4.00pm
+ UK Instore Dates Announced & US Headline Tour On Sale
Photo Credit: Mark Hilton
Today, Cardinal Black, the Welsh-formed trio of frontman Tom Hollister, guitarist Chris Buck, and drummer Adam Roberts – take their next monumental step with the announcement of their new album, Midnight At The Valencia – out May 23rd on Thirty Tigers.
Alongside the album news, the band have unveiled their brand new single, ‘Keep On Running’, – a swampy, menacing blues sound, full of haunting whistles and scuzzy riffs that crackle like lightning. Hollister was inspired by a friend he knew at university who was pursued by a stalker – here he takes on the role of the villain. “It’s a darker track, absolutely, but unfortunately I think it will also be very relatable for a lot of our fans,” Hollister says. Listen here.
The resplendent Midnight At The Valencia is a testament to the band’s self-carved path, from their humble beginnings in university dive bars to sharing stages with legends like Peter Frampton, at his sold-out Royal Albert Hall show, as well as Joe Bonnamassa & Myles Kennedy. Produced by Cyrill Camenzind (James Morrison, Alain Clark) at Powerplay Studios in Zurich, the album is a rich tapestry of love, loss, grief, and hope, brought to life by vintage analogue equipment and the band’s undeniable chemistry.
With Midnight At The Valencia, the band set out to create a record that represented their “10,000 hours” of work, having played in just about every backwater dive bar and neon-soaked club they’d come across. “It’s a long, shared history we have,” Hollister says. “We feel like we’ve paid our dues, and this album is the culmination of all that effort.”
Now, Cardinal Black have honed their sound into a powerful, genre-defying statement. From the haunting introspection of ‘Push/Pull’, written in the wake of Buck’s father’s passing, to the Americana-infused uplift of ‘Need More Time’, the album is a masterclass in storytelling and musicianship. Hollister’s evocative lyrics and Buck’s virtuosic guitar work shine throughout, culminating in the rousing closer, ‘Your Spark’, a heartfelt tribute to Hollister’s wife.
The road to success has been anything but conventional. First their story began when they were tipped by Steve Winwood, who invited them to record at his own Wincraft Studios, then Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven took interest and a record deal was offered, but instead the band paused and their paths diverged but never truly separated.
Buck’s distinctive guitar playing earned him numerous accolades and praise from some of the most distinguished players in Slash & Jason Isbell and the band remained close, reuniting sporadically to play together until they decided to reform.
The next phase was nearly two years of writing, recording and rehearsing and in 2022, within 24 hours, their debut single ‘Tell Me How It Feels’, caused an instant sensation, knocking Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds from their perch at the top of the iTunes and Amazon Rock Charts. Both their first EP and subsequent debut album also reached #1.
Having cemented themselves as live powerhouses, Cardinal Black have embarked on tours across Europe and the UK, including London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in 2024, as well as sold out shows at The Troubadour in L.A., and Basement East in Nashville, and as a result, nailing a new partner Thirty Tigers to this fiercely independent band.
Their electrifying performances have earned them a reputation as one of the most compelling live acts. All of which leads to today’s announcement of a string of UK and EU tour dates for October, November, and December this year, including the band’s biggest ever UK headline show at. London’s KOKO. This comes on top of selling out New York and Toronto in just 24 hours for the recently announced US shows in August. Tickets will go on sale HERE – Friday, March 15th @ 4.00pm.
Midnight At The Valencia is a heartfelt and ambitious account of their journey so far, one that invites listeners to pull up a pew, laugh, cry… and raise a glass to the past. Cheers to their future.
The album will be available in neon pink and neon orange vinyl formats, alongside standard CD and digital editions, available for pre-order here.
ALBUM IN-STORE DATES
May
24th – CARDIFF, HMV
25th – BRISTOL, Rough Trade
26th – LONDON, Lower Third w/ Rough Trade
27th – BURY, Wax n Beans
28th – NEWCASTLE, Cluny 2 w/ Reflex
29th – GLASGOW, Strip Joint
US HEADLINE TOUR DATES
August
6th – NEW YORK, Mercury Lounge (SOLD OUT)
8th – TORONTO, CA – The Drake Hotel Underground (SOLD OUT)
9th – ONTARIO, CA, Kitchener Blues Festival
12th – CHICAGO, Schuba’s
14th – MINNEAPOLIS, 7th Street Entry
16th – OMAHA, Playing with Fire
18th – NASHVILLE, Basement East
19th – ATLANTA, Vinyl at Center Stage
21st – AUSTIN, Antone’s
23rd – PHOENIX, Rebel Lounge
26th – LOS ANGELES, Troubadour
29th – SAN FRANCISCO, The Independent
30th – CAMINO, Concert Series @ Delfino Farms
UK & EU TOUR DATES
October
2nd – NOTTINGHAM, Rock City
3rd – MANCHESTER, Academy 2
9th – DUBLIN, Opium
10th – BELFAST, Limelight
11th – GLASGOW, The Garage
16th – WOLVERHAMPTON, KK’s Steel Mill
17th – LEEDS, Stylus
19th – NEWCASTLE, Wylam Brewery
23rd – BRISTOL, SWX
24th – SOUTHAMPTON, Engine Rooms
28th – BRIGHTON, Concorde 2
29th – CAMBRIDGE, Junction
30th – LONDON, KOKO
November
20th – AMSTERDAM, Bitterzoet
23rd – COLOGNE, Stollwerck
24th – HAMBURG, Bahnhof Pauli
25th – BERLIN, Privatclub
27th – MUNICH, Backstage Club
28th – VIENNA, Flex
December
1st – ZÜRICH, Papiersaal
2nd – FRANKFURT, Brotfabrik
6th – PARIS, Supersonic Club
CARDINAL BLACK SOCIALS
Official Website: thecardinalblack.com / Instagram: @thecardinalblack /
Facebook: TheCardinalBlack / YouTube: Cardinal Black Channel / X: @TheCardinalBlk
CHRIS BUCK SOCIALS
Instagram: @chrisbuckguitar / Facebook: Chris Buck / YouTube: Chris Buck Channel
X: @ChrisBuckGuitar
Album Artwork