So I guess I followed through on my commitment to him in making this record. We had intended to make this record together before he passed away. When we were making the last Night Sweats record, I had a lot of these songs that I was working on. Having been a few years since you last put together a project that wasn’t with the Night Sweats, what was behind your decision to move forward with another solo album this time around? It’s been an interesting yet fun challenge to figure that all out together. These songs have such a different intention than that, and there’s so much more subtlety in performing them live together. I feel like with the Night Sweats we’d be like, “Oh, we know these songs,” and just kind of rock through them. This is kind of the first time that me and the band have done real rehearsals. What are you feeling as you anticipate having this new music out in the world? Swift’s passing is a heavy presence across the LP in myriad ways, including Rateliff’s decision to record the bulk of And It’s Still Alright at Swift’s National Freedom studio in College Grove, Oregon.īelow, read part one of our conversation with Rateliff, held in the weeks leading up to And It’s Still Alright‘s release.īGS: You’ll release And It’s Still Alright in just a couple of weeks. Rateliff originally planned to make the new album alongside friend, frequent collaborator, and beloved producer Richard Swift, who died unexpectedly in July 2018 at the age of 41. Songs like the title track, which chronicles the aftermath of unexpected loss, and the poignant “Time Stands,” hark back to his salad days as a solo singer-songwriter while also marking his immense artistic growth over the past decade.Īs his first full-length solo album in seven years, And It’s Still Alright comes on the heels of two acclaimed albums from Rateliff and the Night Sweats, both of which released via STAX Records and found the Missouri-born artist digging deeper into rock-influenced soul and R&B music. Watch his performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert below, along with a 2013 Rateliff performance from the Paste archives, and revisit our recent interview with the artist here.Nathaniel Rateliff’s And It’s Still Alright retains much of the soul and swagger of his work with his band the Night Sweats, but its subtler arrangements and sparser atmosphere offer more room for Rateliff to showcase his introspective side as both a songwriter and vocalist. Rateliff’s album And It’s Still Alright is out now and his sold-out North American tour starts March 3. This album encapsulates two milestones in Rateliff’s life journey, and we can hear the inner peace he’s unraveling in these experiences. His focus expanded then, and the project became a reflection of the hope and new perspective born from struggles like these. He’s been through a divorce since his last studio release, and those emotions are definitely present.Īnd It’s Still Alright was originally centered around Rateliff’s crumbling relationship, but the subject matter shifted when Rateliff’s longtime friend and producer, Richard Swift, died in 2018. His voice is low and hearty, but when he slides up to a folk-shout to wash us in anguish, the change in pitch is chilling. The honesty in his voice while he tells a painful tale is moving. Rateliff’s performance features beautiful melodies from his acoustic guitar, a keyboard and a four-piece string section. The chorus bleeds with sentiments of devotion and endearment: “Are you just too old? Or too young to carry? / Time stands in a duel, I stand for you.” “Time Stands” is a vague, yet soulful love story that seems to have gone awry. The song appears on Rateliff’s new solo album, And It’s Still Alright. Tuesday night, Nathaniel Rateliff performed his song “Time Stands” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |