After nearly a month on tour, Cork’s Cardinals return with “Barbed Wire,” a brooding yet melodic standout from their upcoming debut album. The track leans into the band’s flair for atmospheric tension, towering guitar lines, shadowy imagery, and a sense of simmering unrest, showcasing a group continuing to sharpen their identity with each release. Arriving with a stark black-and-white visual by Xander Lewis, “Barbed Wire” serves as the fourth offering from Masquerade, due 13 February via So Young Records.
Frontman Euan Manning explains the inspiration behind the single:
“It’s very much inspired by the history of our city and the Gaol house that stood on the south gate bridge many years ago, lyrically I had hoped to evoke images of silhouetted city walls and security fences. Sometimes aesthetics can carry a song from its inception to its completion. Kevin Barry’s novel ‘City of Bohane’ also served as inspiration for a gothic re-imagining of Cork.”
Formed through blood ties and long-standing friendships, brothers Euan and Finn Manning, their cousin Darragh, plus schoolmates Oskar Gudinovic and Aaron Hurley, Cardinals have quickly become one of Ireland’s most compelling new rock bands. With Masquerade, they embrace that momentum fully, crafting a debut that pushes far beyond their early promise.
Available across multiple physical formats, including exclusive vinyl editions via Rough Trade, the band’s store, and Australia’s Impressed, Masquerade lands just as Cardinals ramp up their already packed live schedule. Following summer sets with Fontaines D.C., supports for Wunderhorse and NewDad, and a Boston date with The Pogues, the group are set for a headline run across Europe before launching into an extensive UK & Ireland tour in March 2026.
