Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats (10th Anniversary Edition): Translucent Black Vinyl 2LP

The journey of a song has to start somewhere. Songs can be ideas that sit for years. Sometimes they are hiding from within, and it is up to us to become available, to welcome their melodic birth. Here are eleven unheard ideas that started in my attic a little over ten years ago. I had one mic, a two-channel interface, a two-channel preamp, and my laptop.  I used those tools just well enough at the time to capture ideas in the moment they arrived. 

I had toured as a singer-songwriter for years by this time in my life. A lot of my experience as an artist was in solitude. I had a band but couldn’t afford to tour with them much and I had reached a point where I could no longer try to convince audiences that I was good at what I was doing. I came home from a tour and was considering hanging it all up. But for some reason, I kept writing diligently and daily. I had always loved the southern sounds of Soul from the STAX record catalog and at the same time was listening to The Band and falling in love with their twangy approach to Rock’n’Roll. I wondered what it would sound like if Sam and Dave were in The Band. That idea, along with the circumstances in my life, sparked a melody in me that came out as “Trying So Hard Not To Know.” I was so excited that this sound and writing found its way to me. It was electric and joyous, and it screamed out of me. All the tragedy, joy, and love I had experienced. 

As I laid in bed the night of that first blessing, another melody came to me. I got up and recorded a small part that became “Look It Here.” I woke the next morning and used the same process to keep writing. Then came “Howlin at Nothing,” then “Need Never Get Old,” and so on. The songs poured out of me until I was looking at a collection of work knowing I needed a band. 

I started sharing these songs with friends and would catch someone at the bar to listen and see what they thought. Finally, one friend said, “You should send these to Richard Swift!” I had met Richard years ago backstage at a Delta Spirit show in London. Our first interaction was good but short and I honestly didn’t know much about him. Without much to lose, I sent Swift the songs. He called me late one night and we chatted about them. I was excited that he liked my work. He asked me what my recording process was, and we quickly learned we had a lot in common, more than just our creative processes. I knew we had a connection from our phone call, and we started to make plans to record together. 

The pieces all fell into place from there. I headed out to Cottage Grove, Oregon to work with Richard. When I arrived, I found a new best friend in him. We were kindred spirits and hit the ground running. He and I recorded a song a day, laughing our asses off the entire time. Soon, Patrick Meese joined us. He not only brought another set of ears but talent across drums, keys, guitar, and his voice. Pat and I had been making music together for years, I trusted and could lean on him in ways that I couldn’t with Richard. 

The process of recording these demos came as such a surprise and lead to making one of my most treasured friendships. When I left for Oregon, I thought I was going to make the last record of my career. 

Instead, it was the start of a new life. – Nathaniel Rateliff