Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Artistfacts

  • 2013-
    Nathaniel Rateliff Vocals, guitar2013-
    Joseph Pope IIIBass2013-
    Patrick MeeseDrums2013-
    Luke MossmanGuitar2016-
    Mark ShustermanKeyboards2013-
    Andreas WildSaxophone2015-
    Jeff DazeySaxophone2015-
    Scott FrockTrumpet2015-
  • Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are a band fronted by Missouri native Nathaniel Rateliff. Their music style is a blend of soul, folk, and rock and their famed for their rollickingly fun and powerful live shows.
  • Raised by devout parents in the small town of Hermann, Missouri, Rateliff quickly learned the harsh realities of life. With his father, a carpenter, struggling to provide for the family, Rateliff began mowing lawns at a young age to supplement their meager income. "We were broke," he remembered to Mojo magazine, "but we were never hungry. We hunted. The last place we lived, the landlord cut a one-acre garden, so I was out there weeding."
  • When Rateliff was 14, his father was killed in a motor accident. Forced to mature beyond his years, he dropped out of school and took on more work, sharing a house with friends while working at Subway. He even found himself employed as a janitor at the high school he should have been attending.
  • Despite the hardships, music remained a constant in Rateliff's life. His family had a strong musical tradition, and he started playing drums at age 7. After his father's passing, he turned to the guitar and immersed himself in the music collection his dad had left behind, discovering the works of Led Zeppelin, Muddy Waters, and Big Bill Broonzy. Inspired by his mother's love for James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot, Rateliff developed a deep appreciation for folk and blues music.
  • Teaming up with his childhood friend Joseph Pope, they embarked on a series of musical endeavors, often working long hours in manual labor to support their passion. Rateliff spent a decade working night shifts at a trucking company, finding solace in singing along to the soulful sounds of Doo Wop Sunday, a local radio show. "My voice sat really well in that music," he recalled. "No one was teaching me how to sing, but you could just fill the different parts, how it resonates. There was a trail of discovery."
  • Ratcliffe and Pope anchored a rock band, Born In The Flood, hailed by locals as the next big thing. They downshifted into Nathaniel Rateliff And The Wheel, a heavy-lidded folk group. As the wheel slowed, Rateliff considered becoming a full-time gardener.
  • Rateliff and Pope formed the Night Sweats in 2013 with drummer Patrick Meese. Their debut performance that April at Denver's Bluebird Theater marked a turning point in their careers. Rateliff's energetic stage presence and powerful vocals captivated the audience, igniting a spark that would propel the band to success. "Of all the amazing things I've been a part of, that was something new," Pope noted. "There was catharsis. For everybody in that room, it represented hope."
  • Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' self-titled debut album was released on June 24, 2015, and became a surprise hit, quickly cementing them as a prominent force in contemporary rock 'n' roll. The album was certified Gold in the US, signifying sales of 500,000 albums, exactly two years after its release. Their breakout single, "S.O.B.," also reached Gold status in the US.
  • Rateliff released a solo album called And It's Still Alright in early 2020, showcasing his more introspective side, before returning to work with the Night Sweats.

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