Nathaniel Rateliff: My 5 Favorite Songs for the Road
Ever since his 2015 breakthrough, Missouri-born soul belter Nathaniel Rateliff has logged some serious time on the road with his band the Night Sweats. "This has been a lot of work, but it's all been great," he told Rolling Stone recently. "We just keep finding ourselves in amazing situations and gorgeous places. I'm just continually surprised that people are digging what we're doing and keep coming to the gigs." A heavy touring schedule demands an impeccably curated playlist, and the singer shared with us a few of the songs that have soundtracked his recent adventures.
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Blake Mills, “If I’m Unworthy”
This is a bizarre, smooth song with a wild guitar solo that's just gorgeous. It talks about relationships, which we can all relate to being on the road.
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C.W. Stoneking, “On a Desert Isle”
Sonically, this feels like it was made in the 1930s or 1940s. It sounds a little dirty and like everybody is in one room playing together.
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Damien Jurado, “Museum of Flight”
This is really rich and warm, with the perfect amount of flavor. Damien's delivery is just impeccable.
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Delta Spirit, “Bushwick Blues”
A great love song. It's about talking to a person and remembering a train trip they took together to Bushwick. The main line is, "My love is strong, and my heart is weak."
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Vulfpeck, “Back Pocket”
This is about writing love letters to somebody when you're in grade school. It sort of sounds like a Steely Dan song.