Tracksuited, denim- and leather-clad, and hidden behind wrap-around sunglasses, Cardinals might look like theyâve walked straight out of Warholâs factory in Midtown Manhattan, but their roots lie in the fishing village of Kinsale.
The Cork five-piece channel a monochrome, windswept kind of nostalgia - equal parts shoegaze, Irish trad, and shadowy rock and roll romanticism.
Their eponymous debut EP was a gothic patchwork of shanty-leaning balladry and poetry-drenched punk - and now they return with their first release of 2025, âBig Empty Heartâ.
Recorded with Shrink at RAK Studios, the new single builds from a synth melody written by band member Oskar when he was just twelve.
âA love song written from beyond the graveâ, frontman Euan Manning explains, âItâs a waltz, as waltzes are the most romantic kinds of songsâ.
You can catch them live this summer supporting Fontaines D.C. at Finsbury Park on 5 Jul.
đ§ Watch the video for âBig Empty Heartâ below