“I thought I was going to make the last record of my career.” RATELIFF reveals how ‘Trying So Hard Not To Know’ prevented a return to the gardens

CELEBRATING the tenth anniversary of their gold-selling breakout self-titled debut album, NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS release unheard demo, ‘Trying So Hard Not To Know.’

The first ever track written for the Night Sweats, ‘Trying So Hard Not To Know’ was a pivotal moment in Rateliff’s career. Having toiled without too much success as a folk-leaning singer-songwriter, he considered a return to his previous career as a gardener, before penning the song that would change his life.

“I had always loved the southern sounds of Soul from the Stax record catalogue,” he said, “and at the same time was listening to The Band and falling in love with their twangy approach to rock’n’roll. I wondered what it would sound like if Sam and Dave were in The Band.

“That idea, along with the circumstances in my life, sparked a melody in me that came out as ‘Trying So Hard Not To Know.’ I was so excited that this sound and writing found its way to me. It was electric and joyous, and it screamed out of me. All the tragedy, joy, and love I had experienced.”

On the eleven new demos added to the album’s upcoming release, Rateliff added, “The journey of a song has to start somewhere. Songs can be ideas that sit for years. Sometimes they are hiding from within, and it is up to us to become available, to welcome their melodic birth. Here are eleven unheard ideas that started in my attic a little over ten years ago.

“I had one mic, a two-channel interface, a two-channel preamp, and my laptop. I used those tools just well enough at the time to capture ideas in the moment they arrived. The process of recording these demos came as such a surprise and lead to making one of my most treasured friendships. I thought I was going to make the last record of my career. Instead, it was the start of a new life.”

Further details HERE

(Photo (c) Malia James)