Gregory Alan Isakov and Nathaniel Rateliff are Colorado musicians who have hit the mainstream (and were winning Westword Best of Denver awards before that), and with their shared musical influences, it seemed inevitable that the two would end up collaborating. Those who hoped for that crossover are now in luck: Isakov and Rateliff just released a new single, "Flowers," which they unveiled with a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on February 24.
Rateliff croons the first verse, "You can look at a rose, just any rose / Accept that it’s perfect / Let it dry on the wall/ But what is its purpose? / What is its purpose?"
The two each have their own solo moments on the song, but the best parts are when their complementary voices come together for verses whose lyrics paint metaphors over the softly strumming guitars. The soulful musicians pour all their spirit into a swelling bridge: "I could take on your lies/ Admit that I’m wrong / That there was a place / That you looked at those stones / That you built up a wall / To hide yourself in / To hide yourself in."
This is the first time the two musicians have appeared on the popular late-night show together, but they've been friends for years. Isakov, who records music from his home studio on his farm outside Boulder, will be opening for Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats for one of the biggest nights on the band's tour: Madison Square Garden on March 27.
Isakov and Rateliff initially worked on "Flowers" for Rateliff's 2020 solo album, And It's Still Alright, but it remained unfinished for five years. They revisited the song at Isakov's farm in Boulder, where they worked late into the night to finish it.
“In the moment, because so much time had passed, it was hard to remember who had written what – our words becoming each other’s. Now, listening back, I remember lines Gregory offered and others I did, but it truly is a work of us together, as one," Rateliff says.
Isakov recalls that Rateliff "brought some pieces of a song by the farm a little while back and we finished it and tracked it late that night. We ran around the studio tracking instruments and ideas thinking we might re-track it all later, but just loved how the first take came out. Hope you love it as much as we do.”
In a far cry from Rateliff's days playing the hi-dive, the Night Sweats are going big this year, opening for the Lumineers at Empower Field at Mile High on August 2. As for Isakov, the singer-songwriter will have a two-night run at the state's most revered venue, Red Rocks, on August 31 and September 1.
Find more Denver concerts on our concert calendar.