Ferret Music has officially returned under the leadership of its original founder Carl Severson (Nora). Originally founded back in 1996, the label catered to hardcore, metalcore, metal and more, releasing numerous influential releases from the likes of Every Time I Die, Poison The Well, Misery Signals, Chimaira and Zao, among others. Severson and his business partner Paul Conroy would move on from the company in 2010, with Warner Music assuming control of the catalog.
Severson went on to focus on Good Fight Entertainment and their label branch, Good Fight Music. Now he has set out to resurrect Ferret Music, announcing the label’s first two new signings in mathcore outfit BORE and metalcore group Wounded Touch. Severson commented on this decision to run it back:
“I started Ferret as a way to be more a part of hardcore. My friends all had talent and were in a band (Endeavor, Ferret 01) and I wanted to do more than carry things to contribute to what they were doing. It was a passion that turned into a life and into a career. For the vast majority of its initial existence I worked with my friends, worked with bands we loved listening to and it was just honestly an adventure. We grew and eventually saw behind the curtain and ventured beyond it. Things changed. My friends didn’t, and we still love listening… So here we are.”
Good Fight will reman an active entity, with Severson expecting to remain focused on his roles at both companies. Speaking on aligning with Ferret Music for the label’s relaunch, BORE guitarist Danny Kopij stated:
“Ferret was a label we always looked up to. From ‘Cult Classic‘ to ‘Hot Damn!‘ to ‘A Great Artist‘ to ‘Versions‘ and so on, the music that Carl, Rick and everyone else curated over the years became intertwined with our musical DNA. So to get to be a part of the Ferret family, let alone to get to be here for the revival is nothing short of the honor of a lifetime. Looking forward to this next chapter of our band and to get to do it Ferret Style.”
Wounded Touch vocalist Nick Holland added:
“Any time someone has asked us ‘who would your ideal label be to sign to,’ we always would include Ferret to not only be smartasses, but out of legitimate sincerity as they were always the holy grail label of our youth. Most of our childhoods were shaped by the Ferret catalogue, so we’d have been championing this return out of sheer excitement regardless.
But to instead get to be directly involved as boots on the ground for the return of Ferret and count ourselves among the pantheon of genre defining records released under that name is a validation that can’t be bought, traded or diminished. We’ll do everything in our power to earn the privilege of being asked to be a part of it and to be at the forefront of this return.”
Outside of the new signings, Ferret Music will also be celebrating their illustrious past, with a series of key vinyl reissues in the works. Among those initial offerings are a vinyl pressing of Remembering Never‘s “God Save Us“, complete with its original artwork and a bonus track. That 20th anniversary pressing is also helping to honor the legacy of the band’s late vocalist Peter “Mean Pete” Kowalsky, who passed away from cancer in 2023.
A newly re-mixed and remastered version of Torn Apart‘s “The Fifty-Ninth Session” EP is also set for its vinyl debut via this reissue wave, with the band’s guitarist Drew Lamond responsible for this sonic overhaul. Other vinyl reissues set to launch are new pressings of Old Wounds‘ “Suffering Spirit” and Racetraitor‘s “Creation And The Timeless Order Of Things“.
Further reissues and signings are expected in the months to come, with additional offerings from the Good Fight Music umbrella also expected to be introduced into the Ferret Music banner. For more info, see ferretmusic.com.
