Cardinals

On 11 November 2026 at The Fleece in Bristol, Cardinals roll in with a set that maps their path from a raw post-punk start to a more expansive, melodic indie rock. Formed near Cork by brothers Euan and Finn Mannings with their cousin Dara, later joined by school friends Aaron and Oskar, the five-piece blends shoegaze textures, Irish folk inflections, gothic shades and a touch of Britpop grit without losing forward momentum. An accordion anchors the arrangements, a clear line through the guitars that gives their sound a recognisable Irish color without leaning on nostalgia.

Over a short run of releases, their writing has sharpened and opened up, trading the nervy edges of their early days for wider dynamics and a cleaner sense of space, while keeping a direct, physical energy. Live, they shift gears with ease: tense, clipped rhythms give way to slow-building hooks and spoken cadences that nod to hip-hop. Part of the new Irish independent wave of the 2020s, Cardinals bring melody and tension into the same frame, and carry it with a focused, no-frills presence on stage.