Irish rock band Cardinals are preparing to release their debut album, Masquerade, a bold record exploring faith, identity, love and brutality. The band, fronted by Euan Manning, has drawn support from Fontaines DC's Grian Chatten and is part of a cultural renaissance in Ireland.
Euan Manning formed Cardinals as a teenager with school friends Oskar, Aaron and cousin Darragh, while his brother Finn later joined on accordion. Finn, who learned trad music as a child, now integrates the instrument into a rock context, avoiding what he calls the 'wrong way' of using it. The band's sound blends post-punk and folk influences, with Euan's vocal style compared to Lou Reed and Michael Stipe.
The album's themes are influenced by literature, art and history. The song 'St Agnes' is named after a stained glass work by Harry Clarke, while 'Anhedonia' was inspired by a violent incident Euan witnessed. The brothers were raised Catholic but stopped attending mass after the Murphy Report into clerical abuse. Euan says his songwriting draws on writers like Frank O'Connor and Kevin Barry, as well as films by Mike Leigh and Nicolas Winding Refn.
Cardinals have faced awkward moments, such as when Euan commented on a portrait of Winston Churchill during a London gig, unaware of the venue's British army memorabilia. Despite such incidents, the band is focused on their music, with Euan noting that they would have preferred to release fewer singles but accept industry demands.
