FAQ

Fort Never is an independent band from Austin, Texas. Vocals come from Chantell Moody, Timmie Rook and Deano Coté, and the songs are written by the three of them together with Matt Rusin. Timmie Rook produces everything we release. The band started as a project called Fort Hood and relaunched as Fort Never when Deano joined on drums in the mid-2010s. More on our About page.

Heavy beats and soft soundscapes. Our music blends trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk and experimental arrangements: slow, weighty grooves, a lot of space in the mix and three voices trading leads and harmonies. Press has compared our debut album to Portishead-esque trip-hop. If you like music that hits hard but still feels gentle, start with our music page.

We're based in Austin, Texas, the Live Music Capital of the World. The city's venues, community radio and fellow musicians are a big part of why a band like ours can exist. Chantell Moody moved to Austin from Des Moines, and the band has been rooted here ever since it started. We play most often around Austin, and we're open to booking requests from further afield.

Our debut album is Home, released in 2016. It has eight tracks: Home Song, Paradigm, Miss Justice, Pistol, Don't Push Me Away, Searching for Something, Fly High and Love Is Sweet. Since then we've released singles, including "We Keep Catching Fire" (2020) and "Take A Look At Us Now" (2023), which was featured as a KUTX Song of the Day.

You can stream Home and our singles on Spotify and Apple Music, and find us on SoundCloud. If you'd like to support the band more directly, you can buy the album as a download or CD in our shop.

Yes. Two songs from Home have music videos: "Fly High," directed by Travis Hoggard, and "Paradigm," directed by H.D. Stone. You can watch both on our videos page and on our YouTube channel. Subscribing to the channel is the easiest way to see anything new we post.

New shows are announced on our shows page and on Instagram. Those two places are always the most up-to-date, so check them before you make plans. Signing up for our newsletter is another good way to hear about shows early. If there's nothing listed right now, we're probably writing or recording.

We play clubs, private events and festivals. You can place a booking deposit through our shop or start with a message on our contact page. Include the date, location, type of event and the kind of set you have in mind. We'll reply by email to confirm availability and details. Every booking is confirmed personally by email.

Live bookings start with a $250 deposit, which puts your date in our queue. That's a starting point, not the full fee. The final cost depends on the date, location, travel, set length and production needs, and we agree on it with you by email before anything is confirmed. See our services page for more.

Yes. Timmie Rook produces every Fort Never release, and we offer hourly production and mixing sessions in our Austin studio, starting at $60 per hour. We can help with beats, arrangement, vocal layering, textures and mixing. Book hours through the shop, tell us about your project in the order notes, and we'll confirm the session time by email.

Yes. Our tracks are available for sync licensing in film, TV, advertising, games and online content. A single-track license starts at $300, and the final terms depend on the medium, territory, duration and term. Tell us the track and how you plan to use it, and we'll confirm everything and send the paperwork by email. Details are on our services page.

The cream Fort Never logo tee comes in S, M, L, XL and XXL. It's a classic unisex fit in soft ringspun cotton. If you're between sizes or like a looser fit, we'd suggest sizing up. Not sure? Compare it with a favorite t-shirt measured flat from armpit to armpit and email us. We're happy to help you choose.

Physical items like the tee and the Home CD ship from Austin, Texas. Shipping options and costs are calculated and shown at checkout before you pay, and you'll get an email when your order is on its way. Delivery times depend on the carrier and your location. Digital downloads and services don't ship, so there's no shipping charge for those.

If your tee or CD arrives damaged, defective or in the wrong size, email us soon after it arrives with your order number and a photo if possible, and we'll make it right with an exchange or refund. Because digital downloads are delivered instantly, they generally can't be returned, but if a file is broken or missing, we'll fix it.

Right after checkout you'll see a download link on the order confirmation page, and the same link is sent to the email address you used. The Home download includes all eight tracks in MP3 and lossless WAV. Save the files to a computer, then add them to your music library. If the link doesn't arrive, check your spam folder or email us.

Our press kit has short, medium and long bios, a fact sheet, photo usage guidelines and contact details for press and booking. High-resolution photos are in the gallery or available on request. Journalists, bloggers, promoters and radio hosts can email [email protected] for interviews, review copies or anything else they need.

Yes. Our newsletter is the easiest way to hear about new releases, show announcements and merch before anyone else. Sign up with the newsletter form on our site and we'll only email you when there's something worth sharing. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link at the bottom of every email. You can also follow us on Instagram.

Email us at [email protected] for booking, press, production, licensing or anything else, or use the form on our contact page. You can also find us on Instagram at @fortnever. We're a small independent band handling everything ourselves, so give us a little time to reply. We do read every message.