Following their acclaimed 2021 album The Future, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are back with a five track EP, What If I. The EP features four previously unreleased songs recorded during The Future sessions as well as a newly written and recorded track called “Buy My Round.” Fans can pre-order/save the EP HERE.

In anticipation of the forthcoming EP, the band is sharing an alternate version of the track “What If I,” originally from The Future. Listen to/share the “What If I (Cook Brothers Version) below…

“We loved this song on The Future, but man is it hard for us to sing live,” recalls Rateliff. “Not just me, but Pat Meese (drums, percussion, keys) and Mark Shusterman (organ, keys) are screaming their harmonies. So, we wanted another version to add to some of the other song we held back from the full length. I gave it over to Bradley Cook and Phil Cook…Phil arranged the piano part he wrote around just my vocal and added a simple clap. Pat, Mark, and Luke Mossman (guitar) added some extra sounds to Phil’s arrangement while we were on the road, along with shaker and cabasa from Matt McCaughan. I love the way this version turned out.”

All songs on the What If I EP were produced by Bradley Cook (Bon Iver, Kevin Morby, The War on Drugs) and R.M.B.—the production trio of Rateliff, Meese and James Barone (Beach House). In addition, the track “Slow Pace of Time” features The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s leader and clarinetist, Charlie Gabriel.

TRACK LIST
WHAT IF I EP

1. Buy My Round
2. What If I (Cook Brothers Version)
  3. That’s Your Opinion
 4. Slow Pace of Time (featuring Charlie Gabriel)
       5. Suffer Me

      NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS LIVE

April 6-7—Tyagarah, Australia—Byron Bay Bluesfest
April 10—Melbourne, Australia—Forum Theatre*
April 11—Melbourne, Australia—Northcote Theatre*
April 13—Sydney, Australia—Enmore Theatre*
April 29-April 30—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Bowl
May 12—Miramar Beach, FL—Seascape Resort
June 3—Chattanooga, TN—Riverbend Festival
June 4—Lexington, KY—Railbird Music Festival
June 16-June 18—Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom—Black Deer Festival
June 18—Landgraaf, The Netherlands—Pinkpop Festival
June 20—Cologne, Germany—Live Music Hall†
June 21—Berlin, Germany—Huxley’s Neue Welt†
Jun 23—Vienna, Austria—Arena Wien Open Air†
June 25—Munich, Germany—Backstage Werk†
June 26—Zürich, Switzerland—Kaufleuten†
June 28—Paris, France—Cabaret Sauvage†
June 29—Rotselaar, Belgium—Rock Werchter
July 2—Ferrara, Italy—Comfort Festival
July 3—Milan, Italy—Magnolia Open Ai
July 6—Madrid Spain—Mad Cool Festival
July 7—Algés, Lisbon, Portugal—Nos Alive
July 23—Redmond, OR—Fairwell Festival
July 28—Columbia, MD—Merriweather Post Pavilion‡
July 29—Bethel, NY—Bethel Woods Center For The Arts‡
July 30—Darien Center, NY—Dairen Lake Amphitheater‡
September 16—Asbury Park, NJ—Sea Hear Now Festival
September 24—Franklin, TN—Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
September 30—Bridgeport, CT—Sound On Sound Music Festival
October 1—Ocean City, MD—Oceans Calling Festival

*with St Paul & The Broken Bones
†with William the Conqueror
‡with Willie Nelson & Family

Photo Credit: Joe Papeo

TheWaster.com | What If
4.6.2023