Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats are continuing to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their beloved and breakout 2015 self-titled debut album, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats. Today, the band has shared the second demo taken from their anticipated and imminent re-release, “Trying So Hard Not To Know (Demo).”

The first ever track written for the Night Sweats, “Trying So Hard Not To Know” was fateful for Rateliff because after years of toiling as a folk-leaning singer-songwriter to moderate acclaim, the artist was considering returning to his previous and more stable career as a gardener.

While reflecting on the moment of inspiration, Rateliff said: “I had always loved the southern sounds of Soul from the Stax record catalog 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.”

The guitarist adds: “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.”

Photo Credit: Sam Pittman