The Artery Foundation — the storied management and label outfit that helped shape modern metalcore through early signings like A Day To Remember, Motionless In White, Beartooth, and Sleeping With Sirens — is back in full swing, and the company just added two of the most intriguing names in heavy music to its expanding roster: Dallas hard rock artist KVDE and 13-year-old vocalist Kage Archer.

Both signings arrived with brand-new singles, and both make a pretty convincing case that Artery’s ear for talent hasn’t dulled a bit since its 2010s heyday.

KVDE Brings DIY Hard Rock to Artery With “Damage”

KVDE is the kind of artist labels dream about: self-taught, self-produced, and stubborn enough to claw his way from 400 to 90,000+ Spotify monthly listeners in under eight months. The Dallas-based songwriter has racked up 2.5 million streams across seven independent releases since May 2025, pushing his career total north of 3.6 million.

His new single “Damage” is a hook-forward fusion of metalcore intensity, alt-pop production, and the kind of layered vocal stacking that betrays his background in dark R&B. KVDE says the track is about “creating your own destruction while convincing yourself it’s everyone else’s fault” — a theme that hits with the weight of someone who’s clearly watched the cycle play out up close.

Before launching his solo project, KVDE co-produced a triple platinum record for Pecos & The Rooftops and toured nationally as the band’s drummer, playing for crowds of 10,000+. When the money dried up, he didn’t tap out — he built a company, sold it, and used the proceeds to fund the relaunch of his artist project. That’s the kind of origin story Artery built its reputation on.

Stream “Damage” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7LbTZYchucOLgMw1VpHMpO

Kage Archer Is 13 Years Old and Already Heavier Than Most of Your Favorite Bands

Yes, you read that right. Kage Archer is 13. And his new single “Carry the Weight,” featuring Taylor Barber of Left to Suffer, is heavier than granite.

The Wichita, Kansas-based vocalist is a multi-instrumentalist who mastered drums at four, taught himself guitar and bass shortly after, and eventually found his lane behind the microphone. A viral TikTok cover of Motionless In White’s “Slaughterhouse” landed him onstage with the band at age 10 in front of 6,000 fans — a moment Chris Motionless called a “Top-10 career moment” of his own.

Since then, Kage has shared stages with Fit For A King, From Ashes to New, Alpha Wolf, and I Prevail. With producer Hiram Hernandez (Blessthefall, Saosin, Left To Suffer) in his corner and Artery behind him, he’s officially graduating from the cover scene into original material — and “Carry the Weight” makes it clear he’s not playing dress-up.

“People see the highlight reel, the good side of my life, and say, ‘I want that,'” Archer says of the track. “Sometimes wanting to be in my shoes, but they have no idea the work that goes on when the camera isn’t rolling.”

Watch the official video for “Carry the Weight” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B315zXC2_00

The Artery Foundation’s 2025 Reboot Is Picking Up Steam

Founded by Eric Rushing, The Artery Foundation rebooted in 2025 as a full-service label, artist management, and producer management company. Its imprint Artery Recordings previously launched breakout acts like Chelsea Grin and Kublai Khan TX, and the parent brand’s fingerprints are all over the modern heavy music landscape — from Dance Gavin Dance and The Amity Affliction to Asking Alexandria, Memphis May Fire, and The Plot In You.

With KVDE and Kage Archer now in the fold, Artery is signaling that the next chapter is going to look a lot like the first one: bet on the artists who are already outworking everyone else, and let the scene catch up.

Press play, turn it up, and add both artists to your rotation now.