Tift Merritt

Catherine Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She has released seven studio albums, two for Lost Highway Records, two for Fantasy Records, and three for Yep Roc Records.

Tift Merritt
Merritt on stage in Silk Hope, NC in 2007.
Merritt on stage in Silk Hope, NC in 2007.
Background information
Birth nameCatherine Tift Merritt[1]
Born (1975-01-08) January 8, 1975[2]
Houston, Texas
OriginRaleigh, North Carolina, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • piano
  • harmonica
Years active1998–present
Labels
Websitetiftmerritt.com

Early life and education

Merritt was born in Houston and grew up in Raleigh.[2] She credits her father's eclectic taste in music as a major influence.[3] At the age of 20, Merritt enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study creative writing.[4]

Career

Merritt joined a band called the Carbines and played small clubs in the cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh.[5] In 1998, the band released a 7-inch single, "Jukejoint Girl," and in 1999 the album The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt on Yep Roc Records.[6]

In 2000, Merritt won the MerleFest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest[7] and in 2002 released her debut album, Bramble Rose. The record landed on the top ten lists for both Time and The New Yorker, and was called the best debut of the year by the Associated Press.[8] While touring to promote Bramble Rose, Merritt opened for fellow North Carolinian Ryan Adams, who had helped her secure her first management and record contracts.[9]

Her follow-up release, 2004's Tambourine, was produced by George Drakoulias and featured backing by Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell, Neal Casal and Don Heffington. The album was nominated for a best country album Grammy Award in 2004.[10] She was nominated for Americana Music Association: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year in 2005[11] Merritt's performance on Austin City Limits was released as a DVD on New West Records.[12] A sold-out concert at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina, was released under the title Home Is Loud that same year.[13]

Another Country

Released on Fantasy Records in 2008, Another Country featured guitarist Charlie Sexton. Merritt wrote the album in a Paris apartment.[14][15] Paste magazine gave the album a four-star review.[16] The song "Broken" was nominated for an Americana Music Award for Song of the Year.[17][18][19] While touring England, Merritt recorded the album Buckingham Solo, which was released on Fantasy Records in April 2009.

Merritt on stage in Seattle in 2010

Her EP, Please Break the Silence of the Middle of the Night, was released later in 2008.

Merritt has been the opening act for Joan Baez,[20] Kris Kristofferson,[21] and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for then-Senator Barack Obama at his last campaign rally.[22]

See You on the Moon

Merritt's album, See You on the Moon, was released in June 2010 on Fantasy Records.[23][24]

Traveling Alone, Merritt's first album on Yep Roc Records, was released in October 2012.

Reception

Merrit's sound has been described as "sonic short stories and poignant performances."[25] She has been compared to artists like Joni Mitchell[26] and Emmylou Harris.[27]

A review in The New Yorker praised her[27] and The Wall Street Journal included her in a weekend feature on singer-songwriters, describing her as "in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Leonard Cohen".[26]

Personal life

In 2009, Merritt married Zeke Hutchins.[28] They separated in late 2013.[29] In 2016, she and Eric Heywood had a daughter named Jean.[30]

Discography

Studio albums
Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
US Country
[31]		 US
[32]		 US Heat
[33]		 US Indie
[34]		 US Folk
[35]
Bramble Rose 47 — — — —
Tambourine
  • Release date: August 24, 2004
  • Label: Lost Highway Records
 — — 21 — —
Another Country — 156 1 — —
See You on the Moon
  • Release date: June 1, 2010
  • Label: Fantasy Records
 — — 6 — 7
Traveling Alone — — 10 46 12
Night (with Simone Dinnerstein) — — — — —
Traveling Companion (Traveling Alone expanded version)
  • Release date: October 2013
  • Label: Yep Roc Records
 — — — — —
Stitch of the World
  • Release date: January 27, 2017
  • Label: Yep Roc Records
 — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albums
Title Album details
Home Is Loud
  • Release date: 2005
  • Label: RCAM
Buckingham Solo
  • Release date: June 23, 2009
  • Label: Vella Recordings
Love Soldiers On (Concert at the Historic Playmakers Theatre)

Extended plays
Title Album details
The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt
Please Break the Silence of the
Middle of the Night
  • Release date: September 16, 2008
  • Label: Fantasy Records
Sweet Spot
  • Release date: January 24, 2012
  • Label: Yep Roc

Singles
Year Single Peak positions Album
US AAA
[37]		 US Country
[38]
2002 "Neighborhood"[39] — — Bramble Rose
2004 "Good Hearted Man" — 60 Tambourine
"Stray Paper"[40] — —
2008 "Broken" 28 — Another Country
2010 "Mixtape"[41] — — See You on the Moon
2012 "To Myself"[42] — — Traveling Alone
2016 "Dusty Old Man"[43] — — Stitch of the World
2017 "Proclamation Bones"[44] — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videos
Year Video Director
2002 "Virginia, No One Can Warn You" Douglas Avery[45]
2004 "Good Hearted Man" Philip Andelman[46]
2008 "Broken" Martyn Atkins[47]
2010 "Engine to Turn" John Hulme[48]
2013 "Only in Songs / Night and Dreams"

Appears on

Awards and nominations
Year Association Category Result
2004 47th Grammy Awards Country Album of the Year – Tambourine Nominated
2005 Americana Music Association Album of the Year – Tambourine Nominated
Artist of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year – "Good Hearted Man" Nominated
2008 Americana Music Association Song of the Year – "Broken" Nominated

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. Deming, Mark. "Tift Merritt: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  3. "Interview: Tift Merritt brings soulful rock to Louisville's Waterfront Wednesday [Music". Louisville.com. July 21, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  4. Archived July 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Kast, Sheilah. "Tift Merritt Performs in NPR's Studio 4A". NPR. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  6. "Yep Roc Records > Store". Store.yeproc.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  7. Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Winners Archived July 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Product Categories". Grand Central Music. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  9. Harrington, Richard (April 15, 2005). "Start of rightcontent.inc". The Washington Post.
  10. Kast, Sheilah (November 7, 2004). "'Tambourine,' Tift Merritt's 'Rock Soul Throwdown'". NPR. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  11. "Tift Merritt". ABC Country. August 24, 2009. Archived from the original on May 5, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  12. "Live From Austin TX: Tift Merritt: Tift Merritt: Movies & TV". Amazon. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  13. "Blue Rose Records". Bluerose-records.de. Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  14. Franco, Michael (February 25, 2008). "I Felt Like Another Country Myself: An Interview with Tift Merritt < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  15. Pareles, Jon (November 9, 2007). "A Tribute to Bob Dylan, Both Reverent and Rowdy". The New York Times.
  16. "See You on the Moon" (PDF). Concordmusicgroup.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 29, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  17. "Americana Music Awards – Nominees for the 2008 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards". Folkmusic.about.com. September 18, 2008. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  18. "Edmonton Folk Music Festival/Festival Archive". Official Website. Edmonton Folk Music Festival. 2010. pp. Festival Archive/Past Performers 2009 (M). Archived from the original on December 14, 2010. Retrieved January 9, 2011.
  19. "Blitzen Trapper adds dates to summer outing". Livedaily.com. May 14, 2010. Archived from the original on May 28, 2010. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  20. "Joan Baez Appears on Pier Tonight". Santa Monica Dispatch. July 9, 2009. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  21. Archived January 6, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  22. "On the Beat: David Menconi on music – Tift Merritt sings for change | newsobserver.com blogs". Blogs.newsobserver.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  23. Overdub Lane
  24. "Tift Merritt's 'See You on the Moon' Gets Tracked And Covered". Music.mync.com. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original on February 26, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  25. "Full Album: Tift Merritt – See You On The Moon". Wxrt.radio.com. February 6, 2010. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  26. Jurgensen, John (August 13, 2010). "The Secrets of Songwriters". The Wall Street Journal.
  27. Greenman, Ben. "Tift Merritt's "See You on the Moon," review". The New Yorker. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  28. Jones, Amy (July 16, 2010). "Tift Merritt makes her own brand of music at Asheville's Orange Peel". Asheville Citizen-Times. Retrieved July 16, 2010.
  29. "Tift Merritt's homecoming show centers on 'Bramble Rose' album". newsobserver. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  30. "Live in Denver: With Baby on Board, Tift Merritt Finds Comfort, Joy and Everlasting Love". May 24, 2017.
  31. "Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Country Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  32. "Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  33. "Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  34. "Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  35. "Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Folk Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  36. Bjorke, Matt (March 5, 2017). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: March 6, 2017". Roughstock.
  37. "Tift Merritt – Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  38. "Tift Merritt – Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  39. "Going for Adds (Triple A)" (PDF). Radio & Records. April 26, 2002. p. 34.
  40. "Going for Adds (Triple A)" (PDF). Radio & Records. January 7, 2005. p. 19.
  41. "Mixtape - Single by Tift Merritt". Apple Music. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  42. "To Myself - Single by Tift Merritt". Apple Music. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  43. "Tift Merritt - Dusty Old Man". Daily Play MPE. December 13, 2016.
  44. "Tift Merritt - Proclamation Bones". Daily Play MPE. March 22, 2017.
  45. "CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Virginia, No One Can Warn You". Country Music Television. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  46. "CMT : Videos : Tift Merritt : Good Hearted Man". Country Music Television. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  47. "CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Broken". Country Music Television. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
  48. "Engine to Turn". Vimeo. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
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