Cardinals – “Big Empty Heart” [Video]

Cardinals Return with “Big Empty Heart” — A Wistful Waltz from Beyond the Grave

Cardinals are back. The Cork five-piece just dropped their first release of 2025, and “Big Empty Heart” might be their most spellbinding track yet. It’s a haunted love song wrapped in a slow-motion waltz—dreamy, eerie, and strangely comforting. Frontman Euan Manning describes it as “a love song written from beyond the grave,” built around a melody guitarist Oskar Gudinovic wrote on a Korg synth when he was just 12. That early spark now anchors a full-blown ballad filled with vintage ache and cinematic sweep.

Recorded at London’s RAK Studios with producer Shrink, “Big Empty Heart” floats on accordion swells and soft gloom, tapping into the same warm, shadowy energy that made last year’s “Get It” and their Cardinals EP so striking. But there’s something sharper here—more hypnotic. Like a memory you can’t quite place.

The band’s buzz continues to build, with Fontaines D.C.’s Grian Chatten singing their praises on BBC Radio 1, Cillian Murphy tipping his hat, and Kneecap naming them one of the most exciting acts coming out of Ireland. With a packed year ahead—including massive shows with Fontaines D.C., Wunderhorse, The Pogues, and a new headline tour—Cardinals are leveling up.

Don’t miss the beautifully shot video for “Big Empty Heart,” out now. You can find the track on Bandcamp HERE.

Cardinals – Upcoming Shows
July 5 – Finsbury Park, London w/ Fontaines D.C.
August 19 – Collins Barracks, Dublin w/ Wunderhorse
August 20 – Collins Barracks, Dublin w/ Wunderhorse
September 7 – The Stage at Suffolk Downs, Boston, MA w/ The Pogues
September 9 – Horseshoe, Toronto, ON
September 11 – Cobra Lounge, Chicago, IL
September 13 – Rickshaw, San Francisco, CA
September 16 – Zebulon, Los Angeles, CA
September 22 – Strange Brew, Bristol
September 23 – Joiners, Southampton
September 25 – Waterfront Studio, Norwich
September 26 – Belgrave, Leeds
September 27 – Yes Pink Room, Manchester
September 29 – Patterns, Brighton
September 30 – Moth Club, London
October 15 – The Curtin, Melbourne
October 16 – Metro Social, Sydney

Fire Note Staff

[email protected]

The Fire Note is an independent-music website that mixes record-store culture with lively, opinionated music journalism. It publishes: Album reviews and features – Covering indie-rock, punk, folk, experimental music, and underground scenes.