Glasgow indie-rock trio Junior VP channel early-2000s nostalgia on Red Cardigan; a bittersweet single about the kind of first love that never fully disappears.
Dreamy guitars, sharp drums, and a huge melodic chorus keep the surface bright while Ross Macintosh’s lyrics linger on memory and loss. Emo-leaning, recalling Death Cab for Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, and Turnover, without feeling trapped in the past. Macintosh says:
I really like the narrative that we managed to put together here. It tells the story of a sort of ‘long-lost first love’, and we hope it resonates—or, at the very least, that people find themselves humming along to the chorus afterwards…The chorus lyrics came whilst I was writing the melody, but I have no idea who Grace is.
Red Cardigan was recorded with Jamie Martin at Glasgow’s now-closed Venice of the North Studios and mastered by Robin Sutherland, whose credits include The Snuts and Swim School.
Formed in 2025, Junior VP released debut EP Head Full of Sadness the following year, earning BBC Introducing support and a Kerrang Radio shortlist.
Red Cardigan offers another preview of Junior VP’s debut album, Do You Feel The Same?, currently scheduled for 2027. If the single is any indication, the trio are turning yesterday’s emotional wreckage into something built for repeat plays.