The Artery Foundation's KVDE and DONTYOUDARE Collide on Collab Track "Fake"

Two of THE ARTERY FOUNDATION's most promising bands — DONT YOU DARE and KVDE — are colliding with an epic collaborative track titled "FAKE."

Bounce? Check.
Boundless Grooves? Check.
Breakdowns galore? Check.

Listen below.

"Working with DYD on this record was honestly a unique and fun experience, especially considering it was the first time I'd ever collaborated on a song completely remotely," KVDE says. "Every session was just me, Noah and Matt on Discord throwing ideas back and forth and tracking them in real time. They're both insanely talented at what they do, and I've personally been wanting to create something with them since the first time I ever heard them."

He continues, "Lyrically, 'Fake' is about that moment when you start seeing through someone. The way people can create an entire version of themselves for the world to see while hiding who they really are underneath. I think we've all experienced people who say the right things, play the right part and make you believe they’re genuine, until eventually the cracks start to show. This song is really about recognizing that facade for what it is and reaching the point where you’re done playing along with it."

DONT YOU DARE's Noah Duarte weighs in, saying, "Finally getting to work with KVDE was absolutely amazing. It was a challenging but ultimately rewarding journey and just seeing someone who is so talented take your idea and warp them in their own ways to make something completely unique! Be that Kade interpreting Matt’s guitar parts to me taking Kade's melodies and putting my own little spin on it. We were all just chilling in Discord making something awesome at the end of the day."Duarte finishes, "The song to me is about the fake nature of people who want to use you for their own gain, leeches feeding off each other, fake friends that hop from one friend to another; lost, it’s about recognizing it before it happens to you. Reality is what you make it, people can make a fake world out of nothing."

DYD LIVE DATES:
WITH OF MICE & MEN, MOTHICA, + HOLLOW PACT:
11/19 — Santa Ana, CA — The Observatory
11/20 — San Diego, CA — House of Blues San Diego
11/21 — Sacramento, CA — Ace of Spades

The Artery Foundation Welcomes KVDE to the Roster

KVDE is a Dallas-based hard rock artist blending metalcore intensity, electronic atmosphere, and hook-driven songwriting into a sound distinctly his own. Independently, he has amassed 2.5M+ streams across seven releases since May 2025, bringing his total career streams to 3.6M+. 

The Artery Foundation is thrilled to welcome KVDE to its expanding roster. 

KVDE shares the earworm single "Damage." Listen Below:

"This song explores the idea of creating your own destruction while convincing yourself it's everyone else's fault," KVDE offers. "It came from watching people in my life repeat those patterns while I was trying to grow out of them myself. You reach a point where you want to help them do the same, but you realize they’re the only ones capable of changing themselves, and that frustration is what this song is built on."

He continues, "It draws from my earlier work in dark alt-pop and R&B, specifically my song 'Rain,' which influenced the pre-chorus through its synth chords, vocal cadence, and layered octaves. I carried over the same vocal stacking approach, using doubles and high-octave layers to build depth. The production was also inspired by modern alt-pop with subtle deep house elements. The song that comes to mind is 'Tinted Eyes' by DVBBS featuring blackbear and 24kGoldn, where the bass pluck sound helped shape the foundation of the verses, and then I built the rest of the song around that."

Raised in small-town Cumby, Texas, KVDE grew up around music, spending his childhood at band practices with his father before teaching himself to write, produce, and complete full projects as a teenager. After years of playing cover gigs, he made a defining decision: Talent alone doesn't build a career. Relentless work does. That mindset pushed him beyond being just a musician and into building something of his own. 

Outside of his artist project, KVDE co-produced a triple platinum record for Pecos & The Rooftops and later toured nationally as the band's drummer, performing for crowds of over 10,000. But even at that level, he knew he wasn’t finished building something of his own.

After hitting a financial low, he refused to walk away. Instead, he built and sold his own company to fund a fresh start. In May 2025, he relaunched his solo project with "Image," the first release of a new era. Since then, he has independently written, performed, and produced every element of his music from his home in Texas. 

Organically, he grew from 400 to over 90,000 Spotify monthly listeners in under eight months, establishing a distinct hard rock identity that defines KVDE. 

He is not chasing a moment. He is building a foundation. And he's done it DIY every step of the way!