Steadfast Records offer the debut of ‘Brave Little Bird,’ the opening track from the label’s compilation And The Angels Wouldn’t Help You and the first offering from Ritual Bronze, a new emo project fronted by Ryan Hardwick of Cleveland hardcore outfit Last Gasp (WAR Records). The song marks a striking departure for Hardwick, trading aggression for aching vulnerability on a deeply personal meditation about watching his son grow up.
Written during the process of helping his teenage son navigate high school paperwork, ‘Brave Little Bird’ captures the emotional complexity of parenthood: pride mixed with melancholy, hope shadowed by the inevitable passage of time.
“We were helping him fill out high school forms this summer, and I couldn’t help but think that in four years we’d be helping him fill out college forms,” Hardwick explains. “In just a few short years he could be leaving the nest, and the emotions are all over the place. I don’t know where the past ten years have gone but we are proud of him and the young man he’s becoming.”
Ritual Bronze channels the emotive power of early 2000s emo and post-hardcore (think On the Might of Princes, The Casket Lottery, and Appleseed Cast) while maintaining a contemporary urgency that feels both familiar and fresh. The track showcases Hardwick’s ability to convey raw emotion without sacrificing intensity, proving that vulnerability can hit just as hard as a breakdown.
The band will release their self-titled debut EP via Steadfast Records in 2026. Recorded during summer 2025 but written largely during a gray Cleveland winter, the EP explores themes of addiction, heartbreak, aging out of punk rock, and political depression in an age of authoritarianism.
“I think the songs have an overall heartbreaking feel to them but they’re not all cripplingly depressing,” Hardwick notes. ‘Brave Little Bird’ sets the tone: emotionally raw but life-affirming.
The track appears on And The Angels Wouldn’t Help You, Steadfast Records’ definitive 20-track statement showcasing the vibrant energy, raw emotion, and defiant spirit coursing through the label’s current and forthcoming releases. The essential sampler spotlights established forces and thrilling new discoveries across shoegaze, emo, hardcore, and alternative landscapes, featuring Liars Academy, Palm Ghosts, FVRMN, Cigarettes for Breakfast, Adiós Cometa, Skymender, Riot for Romance, Toilet Rats, The Funeral Arrangement, Ryan Shelkett (Cross My Heart), Chris Broach (Braid), Zao, The 1984 Draft, Cabeza de Agua, Focused, XREDLINEX, 2Minute Minor, and High Praise.
And The Angels Wouldn’t Help You will be available Friday via Bandcamp (free/pay-what-you-want digital) and all streaming platforms with a CD version will be coming in November.
Photo courtesy of Steadfast Records.
