Synonymous with the surge of punk, hardcore and metalcore during it's crucial 2000's era, Ferret Music has relaunched after years of being dormant. The independent label that championed DIY ethos and community-driven DNA issued releases from some of the culture's most enduring bands including Converge, Disembodied, Killswitch Engage, ZAO, Every Time I Die, as well as Poison the Well, In Flames and The Devil Wears Prada to list just a few.
Ferret Music founder Carl Severson spoke on his decision to revive the label and how in 2026, his vision for what the label largely remains the same as it did when he first began.
"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."
As part of the launch of Ferret Music 2.0, the label has tapped into it's core, signing two of heavy music's most promising, ascending collectives. Midwest metallic hardcore unit Wounded Touch has signed on with Ferret and will build on the success of their well-received 2025 full length, A Vivid Depiction of Collapse. Also joining the Ferret roster, Long Island/NYC crew BORE bring some serious added muscle. The band's 2025 LP, Feral, was listed on KNOTFEST.com's best of the year - hinting to the band's true potential via Ferret.
BORE guitarist Danny Kopij spoke on the signing to the resurrected label. "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 also weighed in on the legacy of Ferret and the importance of beginning a new chapter on the respected imprint. "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."
To officially begin the relaunch of the label, Ferret is reissuing some of its classic catalog entries from the likes of Remembering Never, Torn Apart, Old Wounds and Racetraitor. Stay up-to-date and order the limited edition reissue releases from Ferret Music - HERE
