Emerging Irish Band Cardinals Releases 'I Like You' Music Video from Critically Acclaimed Debut 'Masquerade', to Make Japan Debut at Summer Sonic

Cardinals, a five-piece band from Cork, Ireland, who have been widely praised by international media as a strong candidate for the best album of the first half of 2026, have released the music video for "I Like You" from their debut album "Masquerade."

"Masquerade" was released in February this year on So Young Records and was named "Best Album of the First Half of 2026" by Stereogum. It has also received rave reviews from many major music media outlets including NME, Rolling Stone UK, The Independent, MOJO, and CLASH. The band is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the most exciting new-generation rock bands from Ireland.

The music video for "I Like You," which was released this time, was filmed on 16mm and 8mm film. It was released in conjunction with the announcement of the North American tour in September and the UK/Ireland headline tour in November, marking a new beginning for the band as they continue to appear at festivals around the world.

Frontman Euan Manning said of the song:

"This was the first song I wrote with the album in mind. After a long dry spell, I started writing it in the rehearsal studio on a sunny morning last February and finished it that day. The first lyrics were inspired by 'My Funny Valentine,' and the Chet Baker version left a particularly strong impression on me."

Director Xander Lewis revealed that the band shared the films "Manic" (2001) and "Autumn" (1994) as references, and explained the work as follows:

"I aimed to create an image that values intimacy and distance while showing the relationship between the camera and the performance naturally. We only used 16mm and 8mm film and shot in a documentary style."

"Masquerade" is a debut album that fuses the sincerity of folk with the drama of gothic rock. Dark songs depicting violence, cynicism, and frustration coexist with songs that reflect delicate and fragile emotions, completing the work as a product with a clear A-side and B-side structure.

Formed by brothers Euan and Finn Manning, their cousin Darragh Manning, and childhood friends Oscar Guedinovic and Aaron Hurley, Cardinals have used this work to jump forward as a representative existence of the Irish independent rock scene.

In recent years, they have steadily expanded their career by supporting Fontaines D.C. at Finsbury Park, Wunderhorse, and The Pogues.

In 2026, they are on a world tour with "Masquerade," and will perform their first shows in South Korea and Japan in August. In Japan, their appearance at Summer Sonic Tokyo and Osaka has been decided.