Cardinals prepare to strip back the façade on first album Masquerade

Irish band Cardinals have announced their debut album Masquerade, which arrives on 13th February 2026.

The Cork-based group first won attention with early releases that fused strident indie rock with folk-tinged textures, making them difficult to pigeonhole. Known for their live intensity, Cardinals recently finished work on their first full-length at London’s RAK Studios, recording with producer Shrink across a ten-song set.

Led by brothers Euan and Finn Manning, alongside their cousin Darragh and schoolmates Oskar Gudinovic and Aaron Hurley, the album sees the band take their most ambitious step yet.

The title track ‘Masquerade’ is out now, offering a glimpse of the themes behind the record. Euan explains:

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“Something the record looks at is peeling back the ‘masquerade’ or the facade we all put up. The curtain is pulled and cynicism takes its place – it’s really easy to be cynical and far harder to be hopeful and genuine. We’ve learnt this through playing and touring but you can’t be a total cynic if you’re making music or films or whatever it is, making art forces you to dig deeper than that protective layer. Stripping it back is painful, you can find things you’re really not proud of but it also lends itself to a sort of acceptance that can’t be attained if you don’t allow yourself that vulnerability.”

Tracklist for Masquerade:

1. She Makes Me Real
2. St. Agnes
3. Masquerade
4. I Like You
5. Over At Last
6. Anhedonia
7. Barbed Wire
8. Big Empty Heart
9. The Burning Of Cork
10. As I Breathe

‘Masquerade’ is streaming now, with the full album to follow on 13th February.

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