Nathaniel Rateliff is a striking, emotive tenor vocalist and songwriter whose work runs the gamut from simple folk and Americana to roots rock & roll to vintage rhythm & blues. He and his band the Night Sweats are based in Denver, Colorado. After fronting two earlier bands, Rateliff released a solo record on Rounder in 2010 entitled In Memory of Loss, as well as the independent offering Falling Faster Than You Can Run in 2013. Both records were acclaimed for their quiet, intensely personal songwriting and Americana sound.
Rateliff had begun writing songs that required a band, so he formed the Night Sweats. Their rowdy retro sound was deeply influenced by vintage soul, R&B and gospel traditions, Van Morrison and the Band. A formidable live unit with a reputation for stage-quaking shows, they signed to Stax. Rateliff and the label enlisted producer Richard Swift to capture the band's live attack in the recording studio. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' self-titled debut album was issued in August 2015, preceded by appearances at the Newport Folk Festival and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
They toured globally in support of the album. While still on the road, they issued A Little Something More From, an eight-track EP that featured a combination of new tracks and live favorites. Capturing a performance on August 21, 2016, the one-year anniversary of the group's eponymous debut, Live at Red Rocks followed in late 2017. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band added support on six tracks including Sam Cooke's "Having a Party"; it was performed as a New Orleans second-line as the band exited the venue. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats returned with their second studio album, Tearing at the Seams, in March 2018.
Thom Jurek
AllMusic.com
