Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in
Denver,
Colorado, 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, 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. 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 Al ...
in May 2010, and then in the UK on
Decca in March 2011. ''In Memory of Loss'' was recorded with producer
Brian Deck (
Iron & Wine). 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, 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
Nathaniel David Rateliff (born October 7, 1978) is an American singer and songwriter based in Denver, Colorado, whose influences are described as folk, Americana and vintage rhythm & blues. Rateliff has performed with a backing band called the N ...
'' 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'', 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 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-played ...
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 cartridge line titled "Nightstache Collection" in collaboration with
Willie's Reserve. The first release was the strain AJ's Cherry AK. The band developed a friendship with
Willie Nelson 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. 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.
Rateliff supported the
Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign, and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats performed at a campaign rally in
Saint Paul, Minnesota.
On December 17, 2020, Nathaniel released "Redemption", a new song he wrote for the
Apple Original film, ''
Palmer''. 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'' 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
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
'', 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 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, 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 in 2011. Rateliff has also shared the stage with artists such as
Bon Iver,
Mason Jennings,
Iron & Wine,
Ben Howard,
Michael Kiwanuka,
The Low Anthem,
Mumford & Sons,
Laura Marling and
Rosanne Cash, among others, including
The Lumineers in Denver for the
United States presidential election debates, 2012. On August 5, 2015, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats made their late-night television debut on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon''. The band played Ontario's Wayhome festival and Austin City Limits in 2016.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were the featured musical guests on ''
Saturday Night Live'' 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/).
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
=As solo artist
=
=As Nathaniel Rateliff & the Wheel
=
=As Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
=
Live albums
=As solo artist
=
=As Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
=
EPs
As solo artist
As Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Singles
As solo artist
As Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Notes
Music videos
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)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rateliff, Nathaniel
Stax Records artists
Decca Records artists
Singers from Missouri
Rounder Records artists
Living people
1978 births
People from Hermann, Missouri
American soul singers
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
American tenors
Singers from Denver
Concord Records artists
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American singers
Guitarists from Colorado
Guitarists from Missouri
Musical groups established in 2005
21st-century American male singers