Cardinals Release New Single 'I Like You'
(The Oriel Company) Cardinals have kicked off 2026 with the release of new single "I Like You," a romantic, accordion-led track that has already become a live favorite in their recent sets. "I Like You" is the final single to be released from their debut album Masquerade, out on February 13 via So Young Records.
"['I Like You'] is the first song we wrote with the album in mind," says frontman Euan Manning. "After a very long period of not working on anything, we started and finished this some bright morning last February in our practice studio. It felt cathartic, a completely grounding moment after feeling slightly lost for months.
The first lyric is stripped/paraphrased from the tune 'My Funny Valentine.' I don't think it was written by Chet Baker but that's the version we know."
"I Like You" follows the release of singles "Masquerade," "The Burning of Cork" and "Barbed Wire." Masquerade was recorded with producer Shrink at RAK Studios, London during summer 2025. The record is at once grand and intimate, boasting ten emotionally expansive tracks, some simmering with an undercurrent of violence, cynicism or fervent discontent ("Anhedonia," "The Burning of Cork," "Barbed Wire") and others gleaming with bright-eyed vulnerability. A vivid first half contrasts a darker second and crafts a record with a clear A-side and B-side. A nod to the band's collective love of vinyl, that tonal shift takes its cue from a variety of expected and unexpected influences - from the brittle honesty of folk to the theatrical melodrama of goth-rock.
Cardinals have also announced new headlining U.S. tour dates for May. The Cork, Ireland-natives will kick off the slate of shows in Boston on May 7 before taking their high-octane live performance to New York, Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City's Kilby Block Party. Cardinals' U.S. shows will come on the heels of their headlining UK and Ireland tour in March.
A band forged through both family and friendship - brothers Euan and Finn Manning, their cousin Darragh and their former schoolmates Oskar Gudinovic and Aaron Hurley - the five-piece have already positioned themselves at the vanguard of the Irish independent rock scene. With Masquerade, they have flung off any shackles to craft something entirely their own.
Masquerade will be released on all physical formats including a Rough Trade exclusive Galaxy vinyl (sold-out), Retail and Artist store variants as well as CD and cassette (exclusively via the band's store). On February 11 at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT, Cardinals will treat fans to a virtual listening party of Masquerade on Bandcamp.
Cardinals live:
5th March 2026 - Belfast - Ulster Sports Club
6th March 2026 - Cork - St Luke's
7th March 2026 - Dublin - The Workman's Club
10th March 2026 - Bristol - The Exchange
11th March 2026 - London - The Garage
13th March 2026 - Manchester - Yes (Pink Room)
14th March 2026 - Newcastle - The Grove
15th March 2026 - Glasgow - King Tut's
7th May 2026 - Sommerville, MA - Rockwell's
8th May 2026 - New York, NY - Main Drag
12th May 2026 - Los Angeles, CA - Gold Diggers
14th May 2026 - Seattle, WA - Barboza
15th May - 17th May 2026 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Block Party
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