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Cardinal Black, the Welsh-formed trio of frontman Tom Hollister, guitarist Chris Buck, and drummer Adam Roberts – take their next monumental step with the announcement of their new album, ‘Midnight At The Valencia’ - out May 23rd on Thirty Tigers.The resplendent Midnight At The Valencia is a testament to the band’s self- carved path, from their humble beginnings in university dive bars to sharing stages with legends like Peter Frampton, at his sold-out Royal Albert Hall show, as well as Joe Bonnamassa and Myles Kennedy. Produced by Cyrill Camenzind (James Morrison, Alain Clark) at Powerplay Studios in Zurich, the album is a rich tapestry of love, loss, grief, and hope, brought to life by vintage analogue equipment and the band’s undeniable chemistry. With ‘Midnight At The Valencia’, the band set out to create a record that represented their “10,000 hours” of work, having played in just about every backwater dive bar and neon-soaked club they’d come across: “It’s a long, shared history we have,” Hollister says. “We feel like we’ve paid our dues, and this album is the culmination of all that effort.”
Now, Cardinal Black have honed their sound into a powerful, genre-defying statement.
From the haunting introspection of ‘Push/Pull’, written in the wake of Buck’s father’s passing, to the Americana-infused uplift of ‘Need More Time’, the album is a masterclass in storytelling and musicianship. Hollister’s evocative lyrics and Buck’s virtuosic guitar work shine throughout, culminating in the rousing closer, ‘Your Spark’, a heartfelt tribute to Hollister’s wife.
The road to success has been anything but conventional. Their story began when they
were tipped by Steve Winwood, who invited them to record at his own Wincraft Studios. Soon came the offer of a U.S. record deal and a collaboration with Guns N’ Roses manager Alan Niven. Reality didn’t match expectations, and the band went their separate ways before ever releasing an album. The band’s paths diverged but never truly separated. Buck’s distinctive guitar playing earned him numerous accolades and praise from some of the most distinguished players in Slash and Jason Isbell. The band remained close, reuniting sporadically to play together until they decided to reform.
Nearly two years of writing, recording and rehearsing provided solid foundations, and
within 24 hours, their debut single ‘Tell Me How It Feels’, caused an instant sensation,
knocking Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds from their perch at the top of the iTunes and Amazon Rock Charts.. Both their first EP and subsequent debut album also reached #1, and the band soon found themselves recording in Abbey Road’s legendary Studio Two. “It was a blessing and a curse, releasing an album while the world was still distracted in that way,” Buck says. “It took a lot of the pressure off and enabled us to figure things out as we went along.”
Having cemented themselves as live powerhouses, Cardinal Black have embarked on tours across Europe, the UK, and the US, selling out iconic venues like London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, The Troubadour in L.A., and Basement East in Nashville. Their electrifying performances have earned them a reputation as one of the most compelling live acts today.
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