With their debut album Masquerade due for release in two weeks, the pace and intensity of rehearsals, press interviews and in-store appearances is only accelerating for Kinsale band The Cardinals, who have been winning over audiences with their indie guitar-driven melodic tracks Barbed Wire and The Burning of Cork.

The mood for the album has already been teased with the release of those singles, as well as their latest release, I Like You; the video was filmed in the Everyman Theatre in Cork city last October.

The band featured recently in renowned music publication NME, where they were heralded as ‘indie’s next great storytellers’. With the future looking bright, lead singer Euan Manning spoke with The Southern Star recently, telling how their album was recorded in the well-known RAK studios in London where heroes of theirs like  The Smiths and The Pogues also recorded.

‘It’s a really nice space and was a special spot for us. We had two sessions there, and the album is produced by Shrink who is super talented,’ said Euan.

‘It’s been a long road to get to here so we are really looking forward to getting the album out there. I Like You was one of the earlier songs we wrote before we recorded the album. It sort of helped form what the rest of the album would sound like, and we started playing it live quite early on so people got a chance to hear it.’ The five-piece band, who have been tipped by many music pundits to make a big impact in 2026 with this album release, are still pretty grounded and have no illusions about the music industry.

‘We try not to pay too much attention to that kind of stuff. If you let that influence you then you can let the more negative stuff influence you too. We try to keep the head down.’

Euan said there is a bit of a buzz about the band in the UK, and they want to build on that and hopefully play more shows across the water. A tight-knit five-piece, Euan’s bother Finn plays the accordion while their first cousin Danny is on drums. Oskar Gudinovic is on guitar and keyboards, with Aaron Hurley on bass and Euan on vocals and guitar.

Signed to So Young records out of Southampton when they recorded their first EP Cardinals in 2024, Euan said that while they are a small record label, they have been extremely helpful to them.

‘It was actually the label who suggested the idea of having a listening party on Bandcamp, which takes place on February 11th, two days before the album release. It’s something we haven’t done so it will be interesting’.

The release of Masquerade will also not only see them take on a nationwide UK and European tour, but they will also be dropping in to record shops across the country.

Locally, the tour will bring them to Music Zone in Cork city on February 12th. The US also beckons for the band, with a couple of shows pencilled in for May.

‘America is many, many things at the moment and it’s definitely a strange place but we’ve got some friends out there too so looking forward to that.’

They previously supported the Pogues in America, which was another milestone for them as they are huge fans of the band. ‘This was a reconfiguration of the band and there was the likes of Lisa O’Neill and John Francis Flynn singing with them. It was a great experience supporting them in cities like Boston and Toronto.’

Their homecoming gig at St Luke’s in Cork city on March 6th is something they cannot wait for. They’ll be supported by fellow Cork band Pebbledash, who are fronted by Bandon lady Asha Egan McCutcheon.

‘It’s probably one of our favourite venues and we’ve played a few gigs there before so that will be interesting. We’ve done a few shows with Pebbledash, and even toured in the UK too with them.’

Cork city has always been an influence on the band, as seen in previous tracks such as Roseland, so Euan said it will be interesting to see what will influence their new material down the line.

‘We spent a lot of time away from Cork last year, so being back the last few weeks has been nice and refreshing.’

Masquerade will be released on Friday February 13th, while the band play the new Savoy Theatre on March 6th.