Nathaniel Rateliff and Joseph Pope III are childhood friends who ditched their tiny hometown on the Missouri River eight years ago to make music together in Colorado.
First, they played “schlep rock,” akin to Sonic Youth on a three-day bender. Then they goofed around with Southern rock before arriving at the earnest, endearing shoegazer sound of their current band, Born in the Flood.
After a breakout Westword Music Showcase appearance two weeks ago, these guys have been on the minds of music hounds from Boulder to the Baker neighborhood. We caught up to Rateliff, 26, on his way home from his daytime gig at a trucking company to find how Born in the Flood become the local band du jour.
Q: Born in what flood?
A: Our best friend in Missouri has been kind of an inspiration to us. The band name is based on his little sister. She was born during the flood of 1986, which was either a 100-year flood or a 300-year flood. I can’t remember which. There were two really bad floods in Missouri, one in the ’80s and one in the ’90s.
The story behind the name is that our friend’s dad was at a bar while his wife was having his daughter, and there were no boats to get back across the river. He ended up wading through the flood and all sorts of things in the water – trees, houses. The point is that even though he might have been at the bar and wasn’t necessarily a real stand-up guy, he went through an incredible experience to make sure he was there for his wife and daughter.
Q: Feeling a little like Mother Teresa on Judgment Day after the much-talked-about Music Showcase appearance?
A: I wouldn’t say so. We’re happy and excited about the response, but somewhat surprised. I feel like we’ve been doing the same things for quite some time, and I guess people are starting to catch on. I myself have stopped being concerned with what the audience thinks … about fashion or the words I’m singing or if I make any mistakes, and really just try to serve the music. What we’re trying to do is be honest and raw with our audience.
Q: Pizza or ice cream: Which is more likely to inspire a Born in the Flood song?
A: Neither. I write everything, and it’s kind of personal. With this album I wrote a lot about fear and the will of man and brokenness. Like the title of the album, “Fear That We May Not Be,” talks about everything that we’ve been through as a band. It seems like when you get close to achieving something, things start to break apart in little ways. A lot of that is because of fear. People are afraid to fail, but they’re even more afraid of success. On stage you can be whoever you want to be, but offstage you want to be approachable. I guess I want to live the things I sing about.
Born in the Flood headlines a CD-release show Friday at the Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway.
Staff writer Elana Ashanti Jefferson can be reached at 303-820-1957 or ejefferson@denverpost.com.
