KVDE: Damage, Donuts, and Defying Expectations — A Conversation with Rock’s New Anomaly

KVDE: Damage, Donuts, and Defying Expectations — A Conversation with Rock’s New Anomaly

Some artists arrive with a fully formed identity; others carve their way through reinvention, grit, and a refusal to stay in one lane. KVDE is the latter — a genre‑shifting vocalist, producer, and storyteller whose recent run of singles has pushed him into a new era. After years of solo work, a pivotal stint with Pecos & The Rooftops, and a triple‑platinum plaque for This Damn Song, KVDE has stepped forward with a renewed sense of purpose and a growing fanbase that’s riding every wave with him.

Now signed to The Artery Foundation, KVDE is building momentum with tracks like Damage, Anomaly, Sugar Crash, Image, and his collaboration with Twin Rova on Tidal Waves. Fresh off a three‑day run with Woe, Is Me and Jamie’s Elsewhere, he’s focused on writing, expanding his catalog, and shaping the next chapter of his sound.

In this candid conversation, KVDE opens up about his journey, his inspirations, his gratitude — and yes, even what kind of donut his music would be.

First of all, where are you based out of, and what is your music scene like there?
I’m based out of Greenville, Texas — about an hour northeast of Dallas — and the music scene is basically non‑existent. It’s a small town, mostly cover bands and country cover bands. Not a lot of people doing what I’m doing around here.

Let’s talk about your previous band first. How did your experience with Pecos & The Rooftops prepare you for this solo career?
Pecos & The Rooftops was kind of an in‑between chapter of my solo career. I was doing solo music long before I joined them. I had just come back from Atlanta, where I was producing for an artist on Epic Records, and the day I got back I was offered a vocal production session for Pecos. Six months later they needed a drummer, and I had already drummed on their EP. I told them, “Match what I’m making at Sherwin Williams and I’ll quit and join.” They did, and I toured with them for two years while still working on my solo stuff. Eventually I left to focus fully on my own music again.

One of their songs, This Damn Song, has hit 323 million plays on Spotify. Did you work on that track?
Yeah — I did vocal production and mastered the entire track. That plaque behind me is for This Damn Song. It’s triple platinum now. I’m super proud to have had any hand in it.

Are you still working with them today?
No, but we’re all still friends.

How did you wind up signing with The Artery Foundation?
Tyler Rich, my manager at Artery, messaged me on Instagram after seeing one of my car videos. He binge‑watched a bunch of my content, dove into the music, and kept me in rotation while scouting artists. Eventually he set up a meeting with me, Simon, and Eric at Artery. We talked, connected, and a few weeks later had a more official meeting. They were interested, I was interested — and it all started because of the content landing on their doorstep.

Let’s talk about your latest single, Damage. What inspired that song?
It’s about people who keep harming their future by repeating the same cycles. You warn them, try to help, but they don’t change — and eventually you can’t erase the damage. I had a transformative couple of years where I cut off longtime friends who weren’t really friends. That energy inspired Damage.

You also released Tidal Waves with Twin Rova. How did that come about?
They found me on TikTok early last year and emailed me wanting to collaborate. At the time I was living in Miami and could only record when I visited Texas. A few months ago they came back with Tidal Waves and said it was perfect for me. They had most of it done; I wrote my verse, we went back and forth, and it turned into a great collab. They’re amazing dudes.

Let’s talk about Anomaly.
That one features two of my best friends, 91′ Thompson and Swayzee Beats. We’ve known each other since 2020. I wanted 91′ on a rock track because he mostly does hip hop. Lyrically, Anomaly is about being the exception — the anomaly — when people tell you you can’t do something.

Sugar Crash is another newer one.
I wanted to write something poppier and happier because I usually write darker music. Sugar Crash is intentionally light — relationship‑based, candy imagery, fun. Nothing super deep, just a pop track I’m proud of.

Image recently crossed one million streams on Spotify. What does that milestone mean to you?
It hit a million really recently, and I’m so grateful. I’ve pursued music for over a decade, and even though numbers don’t define you, you do dream of having a song hit a million. It was a great day. A friend messaged me the day before saying it was about to hit, and sure enough it did. I haven’t celebrated formally yet — I need to — but it’s incredible.

You recently did shows with Woe, Is Me and Jamie’s Elsewhere. How did those go?
It was a three‑day run: Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Dallas was my first show in over two years, so I was knocking the dust off. Austin was the best — great venue, great crowd, super confident performance. Houston was smaller but still awesome. The highlight of the whole weekend was playing Smash Bros. upstairs with the Woe, Is Me and Jamie’s Elsewhere guys. I grew up listening to them — touring and gaming with them was surreal.

Have you ever played in Los Angeles?
Never — even with Pecos. I’d love to. It’s definitely on the list.

Have you ever been to any of the Warped Tours?
Yeah, twice in high school around 2012–2014, and I went to Warped DC a few months ago. First time since the early 2010s.

I can totally see you playing Warped Tour.
I would love that.

Do you have any live shows or tours coming up?
Not right now. I’ve had offers, but I’m focused on building the catalog and writing an album. I want more music in the vault. I’m waiting for the right opportunities, not just any opportunity.

If you could open for any band — past or present — who would it be?
This is a hard choice. I’m going to stick with just one band to make it simple. I could pick a band everyone would expect me to say, but that would be boring. I would love to have toured with Whitesnake in their prime.

Can you imagine touring with Whitesnake and then you come out screaming? Their fans would lose it.
Absolutely. They’d be shocked, but it would be awesome.

If the music of KVDE was a donut, what kind would it be?
A chocolate‑covered, jelly‑filled cake donut with bacon bits. The kind that makes you say, “Why the hell would you do that?” That’s how my music feels sometimes — unexpected, but it works.

Last question: any messages for your fans?
Gratitude. Just thank you. Fans are the reason I’m able to do this. There’s so much music and content out there, and for some reason people give me their time. That means everything. My biggest message is thank you.

In Conclusion

KVDE is an artist in motion — evolving, experimenting, and refusing to stay predictable. Whether he’s crafting darker emotional narratives, dropping pop‑leaning surprises, or collaborating across genres, his momentum is unmistakable. With a growing catalog, a million‑stream milestone, and a new chapter under The Artery Foundation, KVDE is carving out a lane entirely his own.

If his music is a donut — unexpected, layered, and a little chaotic — then his career is the same: bold choices, sharp turns, and flavors you didn’t see coming. And as he steps into album mode, one thing is clear: KVDE isn’t just the anomaly. He’s the exception.

(Interview by Ken Morton)

KVDE on Instagram