Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
, whose influences are described as
folk,
Americana and vintage
rhythm & blues
Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the Night Sweats for an R&B side project he formed in 2013. He has released three solo albums, two solo EPs, and one album as Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel.
Career
Rateliff was born in
St. Louis,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, on October 7, 1978. He grew up in
Hermann, Missouri; learning to play the drums at age seven. As a teenager he taught himself guitar, began writing songs and, at eighteen, moved to Denver.
2002–2008: Born in the Flood
In 2002, Rateliff formed Born in the Flood, quickly garnering a large following in Denver and headlining local festivals like the
Westword Music Showcase
''Westword'' is a free digital and print media publication based in Denver, Colorado. ''Westword'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue ci ...
. In February 2007, Born in the Flood released their first full-length album ''If This Thing Should Spill''. Despite increasing success with Born in the Flood, Rateliff turned down an offer from Roadrunner Records, and shifted his focus to a more stripped-down, solo effort, playing somber, singer-songwriter content under his name and "Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel".
2007–2014: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel
In 2007, while still performing with Born in the Flood, Rateliff began recording and performing more personal, somber content both solo and with BitF bandmate and lifetime collaborator Joseph Pope III (bass/guitar/vibes/organ/harmonica). The project expanded with more live performances, adding Julie Davis (upright bass/vocals), Carrie Beeder (organ/violin), James Han (keys/vibes), and Ben Desoto (drums/flute). Shortly after the breakup of Born in the Flood, Rateliff released ''Desire and Dissolving Men'' on Public Service Records. Nathaniel Rateliff then released ''In Memory of Loss'' in the USA on
Rounder Records
Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Ali ...
in May 2010, and then in the UK on
Decca Decca may refer to:
Music
* Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label
* Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group
* Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label
* Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...
in March 2011. ''In Memory of Loss'' was recorded with producer
Brian Deck
Brian Deck is an American music producer and member of band Red Red Meat. He co-founded Idful Studios in 1988. Since becoming a full-time producer, Deck has worked with bands and artists including Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine, Califone, All Smile ...
(
Iron & Wine
Samuel "Sam" Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a l ...
). On September 17, 2013, Rateliff released ''Falling Faster Than You Can Run'' on Mod y Vi Records. On the same day he set out on a tour with
The Lumineers and
Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog is an American rock band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Its lineup consists of Toby Leaman (bass guitar), Scott McMicken (lead guitar), Frank McElroy (rhythm guitar), Zach Miller (keyboard), Eric Slick ( drums), and ...
, in support of the album.
2013–present: Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Beginning in 2013, while still performing and recording with earlier solo and group projects, Rateliff embarked on a more upbeat, soulful sound with longtime collaborator Joseph Pope III and other collaborators in shows around Denver and Boulder. On June 24, 2015, the self-titled release of ''
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats'' via Stax Records was announced with the lead single being "
S.O.B.". The Night Sweats feature Joseph Pope III (bass), Mark Shusterman (keyboards) and Patrick Meese (drums). Other band members include Luke Mossman (guitar), Wesley Watkins (trumpet), and Andy Wild (saxophone).
According to the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', this was "an album Rateliff made as a last-ditch effort before throwing in the towel on his music career, only to see it go viral and turn into a runaway hit."
In November 2016, he released the 8-track EP ''A Little More From...''
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats released a new album titled ''Tearing at the Seams'' on March 9, 2018. After spending a week recording 18 songs with his band, Rateliff was not content and decided to return to the studio for five days with his band's rhythm section and three more days with the horns section, producing seven to eight new songs he felt were "appropriate, the right tempo and the right mood". The band shared the record's lead single "You Worry Me". Produced by Richard Swift and being offered in 12-track standard and 14-track deluxe editions, the band assembled in Rodeo, New Mexico for the initial writing and recording sessions for the album.
In February 2018, "You Worry Me", the lead single from ''Tearing at the Seams'', their second studio album, hit number one on the
Adult Alternative Songs
Adult Alternative Airplay (also known as Triple A or Triple A Airplay, and formerly Adult Alternative Songs and Triple A Songs) is a record chart currently published by ''Billboard'' that ranks the most popular songs on adult album alternative rad ...
charts. It would later hit the top 10 on the
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
chart in June 2018. ''Tearing at the Seams'' was released on March 9, 2018. The album debuted at number 11 on the
''Billboard'' 200 for the week of March 24, 2018, and debuted on the Alternative Albums chart at number 5.
In August 2019, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats launched a limited
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
cartridge line titled "Nightstache Collection" in collaboration with
Willie's Reserve
Willie's Reserve is a company started by singer-songwriter Willie Nelson in 2015. Nelson, a longtime supporter of marijuana legalization announced the launch of chain stores of the brand after marijuana was legalized in different states. The firs ...
. The first release was the strain AJ's Cherry AK. The band developed a friendship with
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and ''Stardust'' (1978 ...
when they met at
Farm Aid in 2016.
In November 2019, Nathaniel Rateliff announced a solo tour to support a new solo album via
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
. On January 8, 2020, Nathaniel announced ''And It's Still Alright,'' his first solo album in nearly seven years which was released February 14 via
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record company, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the label changed its name to Stax Records in 1961. It also shared its operations with sister label Volt Records.
Stax was ...
.
Rateliff supported the
Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign
The 2020 presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders was an election campaign from the junior United States senator and former representative from Vermont. It began with Sanders's formal announcement on February 19, 2019. The announcement followe ...
, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats performed at a campaign rally in
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center ...
.
On December 17, 2020, Nathaniel released "Redemption", a new song he wrote for the
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancest ...
Original film, ''
Palmer
Palmer may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land
* Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...
''. The release came as a surprise to Rateliff's fans, since he did not announce it beforehand.
In early 2021, Nathaniel appeared in his first ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' performance on February 13. His two-song set included the recently released "Redemption" and "A Little Honey" off of
''Tearing at the Seams''.
On November 5, 2021, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats released their third studio album, ''
The Future'', via Stax Records. In support of the album,
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...
The Spectrum introduced Night Sweats Radio with Nathaniel Rateliff which debuted October 22, 2021 airing new episodes every Friday.
Recognition
Rateliff developed a dedicated following within the Denver music community. ''The New York Times'' dubbed him a Denver local
folk-pop
Folk-pop is a musical style that may be 1) contemporary folk songs with large, sweeping pop arrangements, or 2) pop songs with intimate, acoustic-based folk arrangements. Recording production values created a unblemished style that appealed to ...
hero. ''
Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' praised his "massive, alluring" voice. ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' dubbed the unsigned singer-songwriter a "must hear." This wave of acclaim led to a solo tour opening for
The Fray
The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, ''How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, ...
, which brought his work to the attention of national and international audiences. Rateliff was featured on the late-night music television series ''
Later... with Jools Holland'' on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
in 2011. Rateliff has also shared the stage with artists such as
. On August 5, 2015, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats made their late-night television debut on ''
''. The band played Ontario's Wayhome festival and Austin City Limits in 2016.
'' on February 13, 2021. Rateliff and The Nightsweats most recently performed on "The Tonight Show" their new song "Face Down In The Moment" (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/nathaniel-rateliff-night-sweats-face-down-in-the-moment-fallon-1234596232/).
Solo
* "Still Trying" (2014)
* "And It's Still Alright" (2020)
* "What A Drag" (2020)
as Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
* "Look It Here" (2015)
* "Howling at Nothing" (2015)
* "Howling at Nothing" (Director's Cut) (2015)
* "S.O.B." (2015)
* "I Need Never Get Old" (2016)
* "Wasting Time" (2016)
* "A Little Honey" (2018)