Cardinals caught up with NME backstage at Reading 2026, where the Cork indie rock band opened up about the progress of their forthcoming follow-up to the critically praised Masquerade, describing it as a notably “darker” body of work.
The former NME cover stars and NME 100 alumni made their Reading & Leeds debut at the southern site on Friday, August 28 — a milestone that carried extra weight given their deep admiration for Nirvana’s iconic Live At Reading album and concert film.
The Cork-based outfit’s rise has been gradual but undeniable. A writer for this publication first witnessed the band in a cramped Oslo basement with just a handful of onlookers, later caught them commanding The Lexington for a crowd of roughly 100, and eventually watched them command a support slot at London’s Finsbury Park, where they performed to 40,000 people alongside fellow Irish act Fontaines D.C.
“It’s interesting,” said accordionist Finn Manning. “It’s definitely very different. We just came over from Japan, where we played some really large stages. As a band, when it comes to the music we love, the shows we enjoy attending, and as musicians ourselves, we genuinely prefer playing club gigs to a couple hundred people in an intimate space. There’s a special kind of closeness to it as a fan, and as a musician you definitely feel a stronger connection with the audience.”
His brother and frontman Euan Manning echoed that sentiment: “We prefer to view it through the lens of how music has actually served us. For most of us, that experience has been about listening to records and attending intimate shows. We’re not regular festival-goers or stadium concert attendees. There might be a touch of that world, but we constantly remind ourselves that the music we truly love tends to be the kind you can experience up close.”
He went on: “At a club show, it’s much easier to notice if someone is moved to tears by a song. If a fan is feeling emotional, they can approach you afterward and share that. I think it becomes more personal for them and for us.”
Six months have now passed since the release of their impressive debut album Masquerade, a record that Finn says “very much captures that period of our lives as individuals and as a band,” adding that the group is “now looking toward the future and more music.”
“We’re actively writing and taking our time with it,” Euan shared. “We’re touring heavily, which makes it challenging, but we’re doing our best to write whenever we can.”
Finn explained: “There’s a romantic notion of bands on the road, sitting in the back of a van with an acoustic guitar and finding time to write. That image never really appealed to us or produced results. We prefer being in a familiar environment we all know. Lately, that has meant Cork city and the coastal town of Kinsale. It’s usually somewhere quiet, safe, and familiar. We’re excited to return to Cork, get back to writing, and enjoy the mental rewards that come with that creative process.”
Given such a personal and intimate approach to songwriting, one that captures the full emotional spectrum, would it be accurate to say that Cardinals need to experience life thoroughly before they can commit it to music?
“I think so,” Euan replied. “A lot of it builds up from being on the road and touring so extensively. That will emerge in its own way. Based on what we’ve recorded so far, I would describe it as a darker record.”
Beyond refining their production skills, the band revealed they are also eager to push their sound into unexpected directions.
“We’re really drawn to electronic music, some heavier genres, and we listen to quite a bit of black metal and similar styles,” Euan added. “It’s not going to be a black metal record or an electronic record, but there may be more influences pulling in different directions.”