It was not all easy going and a fast rise to fame for Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats. The band knows very well about hard work and slow progress in trying to get noticed in the music industry.
In 2007 Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats, then known as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Wheel, released their first album, Desire and Dissolving Men on Public Service Records. Nathaniel Rateliff then released The Memory In Loss in 2010 with Rounder Records. “The Memory In Loss” grabbed the attention of Amazon.com, who watch listed his album as the number-one album you might have missed in 2010. New York Times also pushed Rateliff’s shows, giving the album a four-star review. In 2013 Rateliff released his third album, Falling Faster Than You Can Run, followed by a tour with The Lumineers and Dr. Dog, promoting his new album.
On June 24, 2015 Rateliff released the self-titled Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats with the leading single S.O.B via Stax Records. After the soul sensation performed August 5th on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, the performance went viral, putting Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats on the map. S.O.B became the No.1 add to alternative and the No.1 viral track on Spotify. The performance helped the band sell 20,000 copies of its album in the first week. Talk about a lucky break.
S.O.B is a fast paced, knee slapping soulful tune that sounds a little familiar, almost like a revived oldie. S.O.B captures the fast rising soul revival, but Rateliff adds a mix of genres in his songs, especially in S.O.B you can here a folk and alternative influence along with a great deal.
Rateliff has a way of making you want to foot-stomp and drink to the song all night long. But drinking to the song may be a little ironic. Behind the Honky-Tonk Soul man’s explosive chorus, is a sobering story.
S.O.B is about Rateliff’s struggle with alcoholism, the focus of the song being , “Son of a Bitch, Give me a drink.” It is a fun song, but the underlying thing is making light of a very dark problem. The song centers around the reprobate life, drinking and sinning, but that may be why so many people love it, because you don’t initially get the feeling that the song is about the struggles of alcoholism. Instead, People feel that the song is about living that appealing life of crazy and if you can drink and sin at the same time, then that’s one hell of a day.
After their sudden rise in popularity, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats have started to tour, playing more than 40 shows in small venues and now moving into larger venues that have already been sold out.
Listen to S.O.B. on the Spotify Song of the Day playlist:
Tour Dates:
Nov 29 – L’imperial Quebec City, Canada
Nov 30 – Corona Theatre Montreal, Canada
Dec 2 – Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, Canada
Dec 6 – The Ready Room St Louis, MO
De 8 – Key Arena (Deck The Hall Ball) Seattle, WA
Dec 9 – Sokol Auditorium (KIWR Holiday Show) Omaha, NE
Dec 10 – Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland Kansas City, MO
Dec 12 – The Norva Norfolk, VA
Dec 14 – The National Richmond, VA
Dec 19 – Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Dec 20 – Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
Jan 18 – Francis Windspear Center Edmonton, Canada
Jan 19 – Macewan Hall Calgary, Canada
Jan 21 – Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, Canada
Jan 23 – Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
Jan 24 – Wonder Ballroom Portland,OR
Jan 27 – The Fillmore San Francisco, CA
Jan 28 – The Fillmore San Fransciso, CA
Jan 29 – The Fillmore Detroit, MI
Feb 12 – Irish Centre Leeds, United Kingdom
Feb 13 – Rock City Nottingham, United Kingdom
Feb 14 – Academy Oxford, United Kingdom
Feb 15 – Institute Library Birmingham, United States
