Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, rooted in Denver, Colorado, blend rock & roll swagger with classic soul, R&B, and country influences. Rateliff initially earned recognition through understated, introspective folk albums before the Night Sweats' raw 2015 debut propelled the group to widespread success throughout North America and Europe. After signing with the storied Stax label, the band cultivated a prominent profile through the latter half of the decade, issuing both a live recording and a follow-up studio effort prior to Rateliff's return to solo material via the introspective 2020 release And It's Still Alright. His dynamic third album with the Night Sweats, The Future, emerged in November 2021. The group later traveled to Texas' Sonic Ranch studio to cut their fourth LP, South of Here, which appeared in June 2024.

After issuing his reflective solo album Falling Faster Than You Can Run in 2013, Rateliff assembled the Night Sweats to support a batch of higher-energy numbers he had developed. Their boisterous retro style drew heavily from vintage soul, R&B, and gospel traditions, as well as Van Morrison and the Band. Building a formidable reputation as a live act known for explosive performances, they joined the Stax roster and enlisted producer Richard Swift to translate their onstage intensity onto record. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' self-titled debut arrived in August 2015 after festival slots at Newport Folk and an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The record achieved breakout status at home and abroad, prompting extensive global touring. While still on the road, the band released the eight-track EP A Little Something More From, which mixed fresh material with concert staples. Captured during the August 21, 2016 concert marking the debut's one-year anniversary, Live at Red Rocks came out in late 2017; the Preservation Hall Jazz Band contributed to six tracks, among them a New Orleans second-line rendition of Sam Cooke's "Having a Party" performed as the group left the stage. Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats followed with their second studio album, Tearing at the Seams, in March 2018, which reached the top of the U.S. and U.K. charts. Rateliff resumed his solo path in 2020 with the more contemplative And It's Still Alright, then reconvened the Night Sweats for the October 2021 release of their fiery third LP, The Future. Recorded at his own Denver studio amid the pandemic, the album showcased strong songwriting yet proved less commercially dominant than its predecessors. The band regrouped at Texas' Sonic Ranch studio, where producer Brad Cook (Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby) helmed South of Here, again fusing the emotional depth of Rateliff's solo work with the group's expansive, energetic drive.