Have Heart

ByLets Go Punk
Have Heart was a New Bedford straight edge hardcore band whose two albums and emotional shows turned them into a key 2000s name before their 2009 split and later reunions.

Have Heart was a hardcore band from New Bedford, Massachusetts that packed thoughtful lyrics, shouted singalongs, and intense shows into a relatively short run that still echoes through modern hardcore.

How The Band Got Started

The band formed in 2002 around singer Patrick Flynn, guitarist Ryan Hudon, and bassist Ryan Briggs. They grew up in New Bedford, then moved to Boston after high school while staying connected to their hometown roots. At first they worked with a rotating cast of local musicians, playing early shows wherever they could and shaping songs that mixed personal lyrics with straight edge conviction. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}

Have Heart played their first show in July 2003 and released a demo in November of that year. The demo caught the attention of Think Fast! Records, which put out the What Counts EP in 2004. The band’s name started to spread quickly through word of mouth, message boards, and small venue circuits that linked Boston to the rest of the hardcore world. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

In 2005 they signed with Bridge Nine Records, a label already associated with many of the era’s key hardcore bands. The lineup shifted around this time, with guitarist Kei Yasui and drummer Shawn Costa stepping in. That combination gave Have Heart a more stable foundation just as they entered their most active years. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}

Key Releases and Career Growth

Their first full length, The Things We Carry, arrived in 2006 on Bridge Nine. The album combined fast, tight songs with lyrics that tackled self image, pressure, family, friendship, and the search for meaning in a culture obsessed with surface level ideals. It quickly became a touchstone for listeners who wanted hardcore that felt both heavy and vulnerable. :contentReference[oaicite:24]{index=24}

In 2007 Have Heart toured across the United States, Canada, Europe, and later South America. The band’s live sets were intense but grounded, with Flynn often speaking between songs about personal responsibility, respect, and the value of community. Their shows drew kids interested in positive hardcore ideas as well as anyone who simply wanted to yell along to cathartic choruses. :contentReference[oaicite:25]{index=25}

The second album, Songs to Scream at the Sun, came out in 2008, again on Bridge Nine. It pushed further into emotionally driven writing and received strong praise from hardcore focused sites and zines, with many naming it album of the year. The record cemented Have Heart as one of the defining bands of mid 2000s hardcore, even as the members were already thinking about how and when to bow out. :contentReference[oaicite:26]{index=26}

In 2009 the band announced they would be breaking up. Their final show took place on National Edge Day, October 17, 2009, in Revere, Massachusetts. The set pulled from all three of their main releases and lasted about an hour. Reports estimated attendance somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 people. The last song they played was “Watch Me Rise,” and after the set ended, Flynn lay on the stage while the crowd surrounded him, chanting the band’s name and sharing personal stories about what the music had meant to them. :contentReference[oaicite:27]{index=27}

Bridge Nine released the live recording 10.17.09 in 2010, pairing CD and DVD footage of the final show. A planned documentary titled We Were Supposed to Stay Young was announced in the liner notes, intended to cover the band and their surroundings, though it never surfaced in the way initially described. Have Heart later reunited for a small run of shows in 2019, and in 2024 they returned again for more performances, proving that demand for their music had only grown since the original breakup. :contentReference[oaicite:28]{index=28}

Members

  • Patrick Flynn – vocals, founding member and primary lyricist
  • Ryan Hudon – guitar in the earliest lineup
  • Ryan Briggs – bass, early member who helped anchor the band’s initial sound
  • Keith Yasui – guitar, part of the classic Bridge Nine era lineup
  • Austin Stemper – guitar during later activity
  • Shawn Costa – drums, joined during the Bridge Nine years and played on key releases
  • Other members over time included Ryan Willis, Eric St. Jacques, Justin Paling, and Vincent Conti, reflecting the rotating rhythm of DIY touring bands.

Discography

  • Demo (2003) – first recording that led to their deal with Think Fast! Records.
  • What Counts EP (2004) – early release on Think Fast! that introduced their sound to a wider audience.
  • The Things We Carry (2006) – debut full length on Bridge Nine, often cited as a cornerstone of 2000s hardcore.
  • Songs to Scream at the Sun (2008) – second full length on Bridge Nine, widely praised by critics and fans.
  • 10.17.09 (2010) – live album and DVD documenting the band’s final show in Revere, Massachusetts.

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