This is the Fort Never electronic press kit: bios in three lengths, a fact sheet, guidelines for using our photos and how to reach us. Everything here can be quoted or reprinted for editorial coverage, show listings and promotion. For anything not covered, email [email protected].
Short bio (50 words)
Fort Never is an independent band from Austin, Texas, making heavy beats and soft soundscapes. Their sound blends trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk and experimental arrangements, carried by three vocalists: Chantell Moody, Timmie Rook and Deano Coté. Their debut album, Home, came out in 2016, produced by Timmie Rook.
Medium bio (150 words)
Fort Never is an independent band from Austin, Texas, the self-styled Live Music Capital of the World. Their music sits where trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk and experimental arrangement meet, or in their own words: heavy beats and soft soundscapes, all produced by Timmie Rook.
The band grew out of Fort Hood, an earlier collaboration between Chantell Moody, who moved to Austin from Des Moines and previously fronted the electronic pop group The Digital Wild, and producer Timmie Rook. When drummer Deano Coté joined in the mid-2010s, the project relaunched as Fort Never. Moody, Rook and Coté all sing, and the three write together with Matt Rusin.
Their eight-track debut album, Home, was released in 2016 and has been compared by press to Portishead-esque trip-hop. The singles “We Keep Catching Fire” (2020) and “Take A Look At Us Now” (2023, a KUTX Song of the Day) followed.
Long bio (300 words)
Fort Never makes heavy beats and soft soundscapes. The Austin, Texas band pulls together trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk and experimental arrangements: slow, weighty grooves, wide-open mixes and close, layered vocals that can feel more like a folk song than a club track. Everything the band releases is produced by Timmie Rook.
The project started as Fort Hood, a collaboration between Rook and singer Chantell Moody. Moody had moved to Austin from Des Moines and previously fronted the electronic pop group The Digital Wild. When drummer Deano Coté joined in the mid-2010s, the duo became a band and relaunched under a new name: Fort Never. A live drummer playing against programmed beats gave the music a new physical weight, and it remains central to the band’s sound.
Fort Never has three lead voices. Moody, Rook and Coté all sing, trading leads and stacking harmonies, and they write the songs together with co-writer Matt Rusin.
The band’s debut album, Home, came out in 2016. Its eight tracks, from “Home Song” to “Love Is Sweet,” circle the idea of shelter and how fragile it can be, an idea echoed by the album’s cover, a painted house on a red background. Press compared the record to Portishead-esque trip-hop. Two songs from it became music videos: “Fly High,” directed by Travis Hoggard, and “Paradigm,” directed by H.D. Stone.
Since then Fort Never has released music one song at a time, including “We Keep Catching Fire” in 2020 and “Take A Look At Us Now” in 2023, which was featured as a KUTX Song of the Day.
The band is fully independent and rooted in Austin’s music community. It has also used its platform for nonpartisan civic encouragement, including a 2018 Instagram campaign that urged fans to vote in the Texas midterms.
Fact sheet
| Based in | Austin, Texas, USA |
|---|---|
| Genre | Trip-hop, electronic dub, lo-fi folk, experimental |
| Members / Vocals | Chantell Moody (vocals), Timmie Rook (vocals, production), Deano Coté (drums, vocals) |
| Songwriting | Chantell Moody, Timmie Rook, Deano Coté, Matt Rusin |
| Producer | Timmie Rook |
| Debut album | Home (2016), 8 tracks |
| Singles | “We Keep Catching Fire” (2020); “Take A Look At Us Now” (2023, KUTX Song of the Day) |
| Videos | “Fly High” (dir. Travis Hoggard); “Paradigm” (dir. H.D. Stone) |
| Listen | Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud |
| Social | Instagram @fortnever, YouTube |
| Contact | [email protected] (booking and press) |
Press photo usage
Our press photos and album artwork are available for editorial use: reviews, interviews, show previews, listings and features about Fort Never. A few simple rules:
- Credit the photographer wherever a credit is listed with the image. If no credit is listed, “Courtesy of Fort Never” is fine.
- Don’t alter the image beyond resizing or cropping for layout. No filters, added text, overlays or composites without asking first.
- Keep the album cover whole. When showing Home, use the full painted-house-on-red artwork, uncropped.
- Editorial use only. Advertising, merchandise or any commercial use needs written permission. Email us and we’ll sort it out.
- Use the current band name and spelling: Fort Never (two words), Chantell Moody, Timmie Rook, Deano Coté.
High-resolution files are in the gallery, or we can send them directly on request.
Booking and press contact
For interviews, review copies, show listings, booking or high-res assets, email [email protected] or use our contact form. Include your outlet or event, your deadline and what you need, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can. Promoters and event planners can also find booking details on our services page, and the latest show announcements are always on the shows page and Instagram.
