Musician Nathaniel Rateliff did his Saturday night live debuted last night and surprised audiences at home and in the studio with “Redemption,” a cut from his latest album And it’s all right which appears in Justin Timberlake’s film Palmer. After years of growing success, the native of St. Louis, who joined host Regina King on the live stream, is having a great breakup year – which also includes some Oscars.
Rateliff’s latest project comes from a very intimate place, he says instead. The rising musician took inspiration for his third solo album not only unraveling their eleven-year relationship and marriage, but also the death of his close friend and producer Richard Swift. The two quickly became friends, relating to their shared experiences such as growing up in very religious homes. Swift died after succumbing to complications related to his alcohol addiction. “I wrote‘ And it’s still okay ’about Richard, but just as easily it could have been about me,” Rateliff shared. “‘Rush On’ is also for Richard. We struggled with a lot of the same issues. I guess I somehow understood why he was letting go, so I tried to write from that perspective to face the void of which he didn’t it can move away and the danger of letting it be overcome. “
Viewers unfamiliar with the singer and his work turned to social media to share their thoughts. The general consensus is that the Saturday night live the look was a refreshing success.
From his 2018 divorce, the singer and songwriter revealed he had trouble deciding what to say in his music. “It took me a long time to be honest with myself and know it [writing about something] it’s part of my process to deal with things, ”she shared with him Esquire. Rateliff was on tour at the time he started writing about the experience. “I remember writing the songs [for that set] in the desert and it was almost like you were writing with that prophetic sense, letting your subconscious go to places … But you were saying to me, ‘Well, I can’t really say that. That gives too much information. “
I think that’s really great #SNL he could book a relatively niche alternative rock act, for adults, like Nathaniel Rateliff, who obviously kills him here. It takes me back to the 2007 era of really fantastic indie rock acts every week.
– Tall Jordan Schmidt (@TallGuySchmidt) February 14, 2021
This is not his first time at 30 Rock with a musical performance. Rateliff appeared on Tonight’s show a few years ago with his band The Night Sweats. Watch the “SOB” performance here on YouTube.
As noted, his recently released single “Redemption” can be heard on the latest Apple TV movie Palmer, starring Justin Timberlake. The film follows a former high school football star (Timberlake) who, after spending 12 years in prison, returns home to rebuild his life and career. Alisha Wainwright, who many remember from the hand scandal that took place in 2019, also stars in the film. “For me, the song is about what I saw in the film and what I see in the world, of continuing to fight until we find some kind of peace and some kind of response,” Rateliff said in an interview with Variety. “It’s about hope and connection. At the end of the song, there is the line “we keep running until we learn to find peace,” he added.