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, often performing at church, where he also assisted his mother with writing
hymns. His father died in a car crash in 1993, leaving behind a record collection which Rateliff would eventually discover. In 1996, Rateliff traveled to Denver on a missionary trip, returning to Hermann after. Later, he and his friend and lifetime collaborator
Joseph Pope III left Hermann for Denver permanently, forming the band Born in the Flood. 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 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 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 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 returned to the studio for five days with his band's rhythm section and three more days with the horn 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 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, Rateliff announced a solo tour to support a new solo album via
Stax Records. On January 8, 2020, Rateliff 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, Rateliff 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, Rateliff 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, via Stax Records. In support of the album,
Sirius XM The Spectrum introduced Night Sweats Radio with Nathaniel Rateliff, which debuted October 22, 2021, airing new episodes every Friday. Their fourth studio album,
South of Here, was released on Stax Records on June 28, 2024. ==Recognition==