Leo Valeri (Brand of Sacrifice, Shibori Threads) and Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary (Fit For A King, Beacon Management Group) have teamed up to launch Papercut Recordings, a new artist-first label built on equitable partnerships and transparency. Their mission is to put power back into the hands of musicians, pairing fair funding with lived expertise from creators who know the grind firsthand.
For its debut, Papercut has signed Blackshape, known for their blend of math rock and post-metal, as well as post-hardcore outfit Limbs. Both Valeri and O’Leary bring extensive experience as artists and entrepreneurs, aiming to reshape outdated industry models and create a label that aims to treat artists as true partners, not products.
Valeri and O’Leary state:
“If there’s one thing we’ve seen enough of, it’s seeing new talent get steamrolled. Our mission is to return creative control and power to the people who earned it—the artists. We provide fair, transparent funding paired with real-world expertise from people who are metal musicians themselves, living and breathing the scene alongside you. It’s about partnership, respect, and building something authentic together.”
