CARDINALS DELIVER GUT-PUNCH EMOTION WITH NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “BIG EMPTY HEART”
PHOTO CREDIT: EMILYN CARDONA
Irish indie-rock upstarts Cardinals have returned with their most emotionally gripping release yet: “Big Empty Heart.” Out now via So Young Records, the new single arrives alongside a beautifully shot, melancholic music video that perfectly mirrors the track’s heavy-hearted mood and slow-burning intensity.
From the first notes, “Big Empty Heart” bleeds tension. The track builds around glassy, reverb-soaked guitars and a propulsive undercurrent, with frontman Euan Manning delivering a vocal performance that’s part plea, part collapse. It’s raw but deliberate—a controlled unraveling. Think early Suede meets In Rainbows-era Radiohead with just a touch of My Bloody Valentine haze.
The newly released video brings that ache to life in cinematic slow motion. Directed with a soft-focus lens and a bruised romanticism, it features scenes of solitude, reflection, and emotional drift—visually echoing the themes of longing, loss, and the aching space left behind when love breaks down. The pacing is dreamlike, the mood heavy, and the imagery lingers long after the last frame.
There’s something unmistakably now about Cardinals—modern in their execution, but timeless in their emotional reach. “Big Empty Heart” doesn’t shout to be heard; it aches quietly and effectively, carving its place in the increasingly crowded post-punk revival and Irish indie scenes.
The single and video are available now, and with each release, the Cardinals continue proving they’re not just riding the wave—they’re shaping it.
Cardinals live:
5th July - Finsbury Park w/ Fontaines D.C.
19th August - Collins Barracks, Dublin w/ Wunderhorse
20th August - Collins Barracks, Dublin w/ Wunderhorse
7th September - The Stage at Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA w/ The Pogues
9th September - Horseshoe, Toronto, ON, CA
11th September - Cobra Lounge, Chicago, IL, US
13th September - Rickshaw, San Francisco, CA
16th September - Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA
22nd September - Bristol, Strange Brew
23rd September 2025 - Southampton, Joiners
25th September 2025 - Norwich, Waterfront Studio
26th September 2025 - Leeds, Belgrave
27th September 2025- Manchester, Yes Pink Room
29th September 2025- Brighton, Patterns
30th September 2025 - London, Moth Club
15th October - The Curtin, Melbourne
16th October - Metro Social, Sydney