CARDINALS INTERVIEW
SEPTEMBER 2025 / The Baby G, Toronto / Hunter Bushell-Petch & Cameron Blackwood
Cameron: How does it feel to be in Canada for the first time?
Euan (Cardinals): So good honestly!
Hunter: Have you been able to explore at all?
Euan (Cardinals): Unfortunately no. But we got the taxi in from Pearson (Airport) to where we’re staying and the fucking scale of the city is so huge, there’s so many skyscrapers. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life, it doesn’t feel like anywhere we’ve been before. It was pretty overwhelming. Then we came down here and it’s such a lovely strip. We went to the bar next door with The Get Alongs and had a few drinks before the show. It’s such a nice place, everyone has been really friendly. It’s insane to me that we can come and play in Toronto and 80 — or whatever it is — people will turn up to the show. It doesn’t make sense. I know that’s like the “humble musician” thing to say but it really is crazy.
Hunter: How’d you guys meet?
Euan (Cardinals): Well, Finn is my brother, the accordion player. I met Aaron and Oskar in school when I was like 16. Met Darragh when I was probably 20? Three years ago is when we started playing music properly together. Some of us have been jamming together since we were pretty young though. Just playing around Cork, playing DIY shows and stuff.
Hunter: Three years is pretty crazy considering the shows you guys have played up to this point. It’s been a pretty fast uprise. Have you had an “I made it” moment, or not yet?
Euan (Cardinals): No I wouldn’t say so. I don’t know if we’ll ever have that because we just keep continuing and keep wanting to do better and do more work.
Hunter: You guys have played with Fontaines D.C., Been Stellar, Wunderhorse, Kings of Leon — lots of different shows. A lot of larger audiences too. Other than size, what’s the difference between playing a show like being an opener for Kings of Leon or Fontaines compared to doing a show like this?
Euan (Cardinals): I mean, at those shows no one is there for you or your band. In a way you skulk your responsibility a little bit. You still try and put on the best show you can but you’re not making or breaking the night for anyone. You can be a bit more loose and the people aren’t there for you so it’s fine. When you’re headlining a show or even if you’re supporting a band at a venue that’s 4000 cap, that’s a far better feeling. It’s more fulfilling.
Hunter: Since your guys debut project you’ve released two singles, “Get It” and “Big Empty Heart”. What is next for you guys in terms of releases?
Euan (Cardinals): We’ve got a single coming out next week. We recorded an album this summer and got it done, it’s mastered now. That will be out in February.
Hunter: Do you have a title?
Euan (Cardinals): Yeah! It’s called Masquerade.
Hunter: In Ireland, what are the benefits or challenges growing up in the music industry there compared to North America?
Euan (Cardinals): I don’t know much of the industry in North America so it might be hard to give a well-rounded answer, but I guess what could be considered a challenge in Ireland is that there actually isn’t much of a music industry there per say. A lot of is the UK looking in. People are always saying at the moment there’s so much good music coming out of Ireland, but there’s always been great music coming out of Ireland, and occasionally the U.K. will decide to look over the water and see there’s actually bands playing here. Yeah, no shit. Then they pick a couple and do a bit of industry stuff with them. I would say it’s a direct result of Fontaines D.C. and Kneecap that the music industry once again has looked over the water. The same thing happened with U2 and shit.
Cameron: Speaking of Ireland, you guys are opening up for The Pogues tomorrow, a very Irish Folk band. I noticed you guys have the accordion too. Do you guys take serious inspiration from Irish Folk music?
Euan (Cardinals): We’re huge fans of The Pogues, The Clancy Brothers, Stockton’s Wing and The Chieftains and stuff like that, but we’re not as influenced by that stuff as bands like The Mary Wollopers. I wouldn’t say we’re part of that at all really. We really like the texture and the sound of the accordion, it fits in because Finn’s an accordion player. But you know, musically we love The Pogues and lyrically the songwriting is brilliant, but we’re definitely not a Folk band.
Hunter: Something else I wanted to touch on from earlier was Kneecap. They had a lot of controversy the past couple years and it kind of seemed like they were getting blackballed out of the industry over their opinion of Palestine. Being another Irish band, what are your thoughts on that?
Euan (Cardinals): What you have to understand is Ireland has suffered similarly to Palestine from being colonized, being a British colony and that ruthless colonial mindset that gets imposed on smaller countries. That’s the reason Ireland and Irish people have such a connection and such empathy for what’s going on in Palestine at the moment. It’s not that far back in our history that a foreign army was on our soil killing children and civilians. Every one in Cardinals does our best to speak about it and bring awareness to it where we can. There is a genocide going on in Palestine and it’s appalling. It’s deeply saddening to all of us because it’s a reflection of the most horrible parts of our history. I have a lot of praise and respect for Kneecap and any artist at all that’s using their platform to speak about it. You’ve seen it yourself, it doesn’t always come with benefits.
