Cardinals are back—and they’ve brought a love song from beyond the grave. The Cork five-piece just dropped their first new track of 2025, Big Empty Heart, a sweeping, accordion-laced waltz that blends romance, ghost stories, and synth nostalgia into one deeply moving listen.
The track was recorded at London’s RAK Studios with producer Shrink and has been in the works for years. Frontman Euan Manning explains, “Big Empty Heart is a love song written from beyond the grave. It is a waltz as waltzes are the most romantic kinds of songs. Oskar wrote the main melody on a Korg synthesiser when he was 12 and the song is built around that.”
This single follows last year’s standalone release Get It and their much-buzzed debut EP on So Young Records—a collection that earned praise across the board for its warmth, texture, and knack for spinning tender chaos into melody. Big Empty Heart carries on that tradition, pairing the band’s lo-fi romanticism with cinematic flair. The haunting accordion loops and slow dance tempo feel like a lost Pogues track filtered through a shoegaze dream.
Heavy Praise from All Sides
Cardinals aren’t just turning heads—they’re breaking necks. They’ve already been dubbed “the next great guitar band to emerge from Ireland” by Rolling Stone UK, and outlets like The Sunday Times, NME, CLASH, and Stereogum have all praised their genre-melting sound that draws from Eighties indie, goth-glam, and Celtic shoegaze.
Even Cillian Murphy, Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C., and Kneecap are shouting them out as one of the most exciting new Irish acts. It’s not hype—it’s a coronation.
On the Road: Finsbury Park, North America, and UK Headline Tour
Cardinals will be supporting Fontaines D.C. on July 5th at London’s massive Finsbury Park show—easily their biggest stage yet. They’ll also join Wunderhorse for a pair of gigs in Dublin before heading across the Atlantic to support The Pogues in Boston and headline shows in Toronto, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, and more.
And now there’s even more to celebrate—a just-announced UK headline tour kicking off this September.
Live Dates
July 5 – Finsbury Park, London w/ Fontaines D.C.
Aug 19–20 – Collins Barracks, Dublin w/ Wunderhorse
Sept 7 – Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA w/ The Pogues
Sept 9 – Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON
Sept 11 – Cobra Lounge, Chicago, IL
Sept 13 – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
Sept 16 – Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA
Sept 22–30 – UK Headline Tour (Bristol, Southampton, Norwich, Leeds, Manchester, Brighton, London)
Oct 15–16 – Melbourne + Sydney headline shows
From Kinsale to the Cosmos
Cardinals might hail from the scenic fishing village of Kinsale, but you’d be forgiven for thinking they time-traveled straight out of Warhol’s Factory. Dressed in tracksuits, leather, and wraparound shades, the band channels a gritty, romantic energy that fuses traditional Irish melodies with post-punk glamour and shoegaze haze.
Their songs sway between shanty-like ballads and sprawling anthems—sometimes charming, sometimes heart-wrenching, always drenched in atmosphere. With Big Empty Heart, they prove once again they’re not just one of Ireland’s most exciting new acts—they’re one of the most exciting new acts, period.
Stay tuned. These five are just getting started.
Listen to Big Empty Heart now. Watch the video. Get emotional.
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