Cardinals release debut single 'Roseland'

Cork-based sextet Cardinals have released their debut single 'Roseland.'

A hotly anticipated follow-up to self-released material, 'Amsterdam' and its B-side 'The Brow,' which were released earlier this year via Bandcamp, 'Roseland' is the band's first ever release under independent record label So Young.

The band — Euan Manning (guitar, vocals), Kieran Hurley (guitar), Oskar Gudinovic (guitar), Aaron Hurley (bass), Finn Manning (accordion),
Darragh Manning (drums) — started as an idea light-heartedly hatched in the sleepy edges of Ireland's southern coast. "We were into what we were hearing but knew we could never be part of it, we wanted to juxtapose ourselves," says front man Euan Manning, "not for the sake of doing something different but because we have pop-leaning influences and didn’t want to shy away from that."

The band's early music caused fervent waves of word of mouth to spread across the run of the country, as talk broke out of the Cardinal's distinctive new sound and enigmatic early live shows. Drawing from the shimmering effervescence and chorusy guitars of '80s indie and steeped in resonant shades of Big Music, the band's rich sound has already garnered them critical attention; earning the enviable support of Fontaines D.C.'s Grian Chatten, who dubbed them "one of my favourite new bands" during an interview with Radio 1.

With brooding echoes of post-punk, the band's sound is an eclectic, gothic amalgam of shoegaze, Irish trad folk and alternative music, mining ambitiously enveloping and atmospheric sonics. 'Roseland' is a perfect showcase of the band's singular sound; an echoey wash of moody vocals and introspective songwriting,  complimented by lilting accordion, fuzzy guitar and driving bass.

"Roseland is the name of a ballroom in NYC," Euan explains, "I took it from a Portishead poster I had hanging on my wall growing up. I think I was trying to write a folk song about Cork city and a story that took place there. It touches on some new aspects of our music, so it felt right to have it as our next release..."

Listen to the new track below: