South of Here

South of Here is the fourth studio album by American rock band Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. It was released on June 28, 2024, by Stax Records. The album was produced by Brad Cook and all songs were written by Nathaniel Rateliff.

Background
Nathaniel Rateliff wrote and recorded the album with his band, the Night Sweats, in two different places: his own studio, Broken Creek, and Sonic Ranch in Texas. According to a note written by Rateliff, the songs explore his "anxiety, insecurity, and also stories of [his] life". He also notes on how Brad Cook inspired him to focus more on writing about what was happening in his life, allowing him to develop more personal works.

Singles
The album's lead single "Heartless" was released on April 19, 2024. The song explores the challenges of life, and Rateliff's optimism to find the strength to overcome his challenges. The song peaked at number 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.

Promotional singles
The album's first promotional single "David and Goliath" was released on May 17, 2024, followed by "Get Used to the Night" on June 7, 2024.

Critical reception
Upon its release, South of Here received primarily positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Timothy Monger wrote that, "Rateliff leads his crew through a panoply of '70s-touched roots rock, delivered with warmth, sincerity, and occasional bursts of grit. Even amid its themes of anxiety and overcoming trauma, South of Here manages to stay buoyant, and at times playful."

Personnel

 * Nathaniel Rateliff – vocals, piano, guitars (electric, acoustic, slide), banjo
 * Luke Mossman – guitar, pedal steel
 * Joseph Pope III – bass
 * Mark Shusterman – Hammond B3, piano, muted piano
 * Patrick Meese – drums, keys, piano, Omnichord
 * Daniel Hardaway – trumpet
 * Jeff Dazey, Matt Douglas – tenor sax
 * Andreas Wild – baritone sax, baritone clarinet
 * Phil Cook – dobro, piano

Additional roles
 * Brad Cook – production
 * Paul Voran – mixing, engineering
 * Mario Ramirez, Mark Anderson – assistant engineering
 * Gerardo Ordonez – additional engineering & horns (tracks 5 & 7)
 * Chris Colbert – mastering
 * Rett Rogers – art direction (with Rateliff), photography
 * Clay Condor, Chris Tetzeli, Natalia Szmidt – art design