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'{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist| <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> |name = Tift Merritt |image = TiftMerritt.jpg |caption = Merritt on stage in Silk Hope, NC in 2007. |image_size = <!-- default size is 220px --> |background = solo_singer |birth_name = Catherine Tift Merritt<ref name="whitburn">{{cite book|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|title=Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008|publisher=Record Research, Inc|year=2008|page=275|isbn=0-89820-177-2}}</ref> |alias = |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|01|08}}<ref name=DemingAllMusic>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tift-merritt-mn0000927795/biography|title=Tift Merritt: Biography|accessdate=2017-04-27|last=Deming|first=Mark|publisher=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref> |birth_place =[[Houston]], Texas |death_date = |origin = [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]], North Carolina, United States |instrument = Vocals<br>guitar<br>Keyboards<br>Piano<br>Harmonica |genre = [[Folk music|Folk]]<br>[[Americana (music)|Americana]]<br>[[Alternative country]] |occupation = Musician<br>songwriter |years_active = 1998–present |label = [[Lost Highway Records|Lost Highway]], [[Fantasy Records|Fantasy]], [[Yep Roc Records|Yep Roc]] |associated_acts = [[The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt]] |website = [http://www.tiftmerritt.com/ www.tiftmerritt.com] |notable_instruments= }} '''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]]. ==Early life and education== Merritt was born in Houston and grew up in [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]].<ref name=DemingAllMusic></ref> She credits her father's eclectic taste in music as a major influence.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.louisville.com/content/interview-tift-merritt-brings-soulful-rock-louisvilles-waterfront-wednesday-music |title=Interview: Tift Merritt brings soulful rock to Louisville's Waterfront Wednesday [Music |publisher=Louisville.com |date=July 21, 2010 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> At the age of 20, Merrit enrolled at the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]] to study creative writing.<ref>[http://www.wfpk.org/waterfront-wednesday-july-2009/ ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711012430/http://www.wfpk.org/waterfront-wednesday-july-2009/ |date=July 11, 2010 }}</ref> ==Career== Merritt joined a band called the Carbines and played small clubs in [[Chapel Hill, North Carolina|Chapel Hill]] and [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kast |first=Sheilah |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88570718 |title=Tift Merritt Performs in NPR's Studio 4A |publisher=NPR |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://store.yeproc.com/artist.php?id=750 |title=Yep Roc Records > Store |publisher=Store.yeproc.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> In 2000, Merrit won the [[MerleFest]]'s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest<ref>[http://www.merlefest.org/content.aspx?id=44 Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Winners]</ref> and in 2002 released her debut album, ''[[Bramble Rose]]''. The record landed on the top ten lists for both ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''[[The New Yorker]]'', and was called the best debut of the year by the ''[[Associated Press]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grandcentralmusic.com/music/ |title=Product Categories |publisher=Grand Central Music |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311004523/http://www.grandcentralmusic.com/music/ |archivedate=March 11, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A53152-2005Apr14.html | work=The Washington Post | title=Start of rightcontent.inc | first=Richard | last=Harrington | date=April 15, 2005}}</ref> Her follow-up release, 2004's ''[[Tambourine (album)|Tambourine]]'', was produced by [[George Drakoulias]] and featured backing by [[Benmont Tench]], [[Mike Campbell (musician)|Mike Campbell]], [[Neal Casal]] and Don Heffington.{{fact|date=April 2017}} The album was nominated for a best country album [[Grammy Award]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kast |first=Sheilah |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4146090 |title='Tambourine,' Tift Merritt's 'Rock Soul Throwdown' |publisher=NPR |date=November 7, 2004 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> She was nominated for [[Americana Music Association]]: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year in 2005<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abccountry.net.au/artist/tift-merritt |title=Tift Merritt |publisher=ABC Country |date=August 24, 2009 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> Merritt's performance on ''[[Austin City Limits]]'' was released as a DVD on [[New West Records]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VI4UUC |title=Live From Austin TX: Tift Merritt: Tift Merritt: Movies & TV |publisher=Amazon.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bluerose-records.de/ |title=Blue Rose Records |publisher=Bluerose-records.de |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411034511/http://www.bluerose-records.de/ |archivedate=April 11, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> ===''Another Country''=== Released on [[Fantasy Records]] in 2008, ''[[Another Country (Tift Merritt album)|Another Country]]'' featured guitarist [[Charlie Sexton]]. Merritt wrote the album in a Paris apartment.<ref>{{cite web|last=Franco |first=Michael |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/i-felt-like-another-country-myself-an-interview-with-tift-merritt |title=I Felt Like Another Country Myself: An Interview with Tift Merritt < PopMatters |publisher=Popmatters.com |date=February 25, 2008 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/arts/09dylan-sub.html | work=The New York Times | title=A Tribute to Bob Dylan, Both Reverent and Rowdy | first=Jon | last=Pareles | date=November 9, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' magazine gave the album a four-star review.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/assets/documents01/Artists/Tift-Merritt/FAN-31965-02/See-You-On-The-Moon-Bio-And-Album-Credits-Hi.pdf |title=See You on the Moon |publisher=Concordmusicgroup.com |accessdate=2012-04-09 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229184732/http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/assets/documents01/Artists/Tift-Merritt/FAN-31965-02/See-You-On-The-Moon-Bio-And-Album-Credits-Hi.pdf |archivedate=February 29, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> The song "Broken" was nominated for an Americana Music Award for Song of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://folkmusic.about.com/od/awardsetc1/qt/Americana2008.htm |title=Americana Music Awards – Nominees for the 2008 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards |publisher=Folkmusic.about.com |date=September 18, 2008 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref><ref name="Merritt EFMF 2009">{{cite web|url=http://www.efmf.ab.ca/004.performers/004-01i.alpha-list/performers-alphalist.M.htm |title=Edmonton Folk Music Festival/Festival Archive |year=2010 |work=Official Website |publisher=Edmonton Folk Music Festival |pages=Festival Archive/Past Performers 2009 (M) |accessdate=January 9, 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214140803/http://efmf.ab.ca/004.performers/004-01i.alpha-list/performers-alphalist.M.htm |archivedate=December 14, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livedaily.com/news/tift-merritt-tickets-and-tour-dates-tift-merritt-keeps-working-the-road-14373.html |title=Blitzen Trapper adds dates to summer outing |publisher=Livedaily.com |date=May 14, 2010 |accessdate=2012-04-09 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528065422/http://www.livedaily.com/news/tift-merritt-tickets-and-tour-dates-tift-merritt-keeps-working-the-road-14373.html |archivedate=May 28, 2010 |df=mdy }}</ref> While touring England, Merritt recorded the album ''Buckingham Solo'', which was released on Fantasy Records in April 2009.{{fact|date=April 2017}} [[File:Tift Merritt cs.jpg|thumb|220px|right|Merritt on stage in Seattle during 2010]] Her EP, ''Please Break the Silence of the Middle of the Night,'' was released later in 2008.{{fact|date=April 2017}} Merritt has been the opening act for [[Joan Baez]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/07/joan-baez-appears-on-pier-tonight/ |title=Joan Baez Appears on Pier Tonight |publisher=Santa Monica Dispatch |date=July 9, 2009 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> [[Kris Kristofferson]],<ref>[http://www.pinecone.org/wintermusicfest.html ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106032827/http://www.pinecone.org/wintermusicfest.html |date=January 6, 2010 }}</ref> and sang the "[[The Star-Spangled Banner]]" for then-Senator [[Barack Obama]] at his last campaign rally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/tift-merritt-sings-for-change |title=On the Beat: David Menconi on music – Tift Merritt sings for change &#124; newsobserver.com blogs |publisher=Blogs.newsobserver.com |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321033601/http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/tift-merritt-sings-for-change |archivedate=March 21, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref> ===See You on the Moon=== Merritt's album, ''See You on the Moon'', was released in June 2010 on [[Fantasy Records]].<ref>[http://www.overdublane.com Overdub Lane]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.mync.com/2010/03/tift-merritts-see-you-on-the-moon-gets-tracked-and-covered/ |title=Tift Merritt's 'See You on the Moon' Gets Tracked And Covered |publisher=Music.mync.com |date=March 23, 2010 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> The album "Traveling Alone" was released in October 2012, her first album released on [[Yep Roc Records]].{{fact|date=April 2017}} ==Reception== Merrit's sound has been described as "sonic short stories and poignant performances."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wxrt.radio.com/2010/06/02/full-album-tift-merritt-see-you-on-the-moon/ |title=Full Album: Tift Merritt – See You On The Moon |publisher=Wxrt.radio.com |date=February 6, 2010 |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> She has been compared to artists like [[Joni Mitchell]]<ref name="Jurgensen">{{cite news| url=https://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704164904575421813516451790.html?KEYWORDS=Tift+Merritt | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=The Secrets of Songwriters | first=John | last=Jurgensen | date=August 13, 2010}}</ref> and [[Emmylou Harris]].<ref name="newyorker.com">{{cite web|last=Greenman |first=Ben |url=http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/recordings/2010/06/14/100614gore_GOAT_recordings_greenman |title=Tift Merritt's "See You on the Moon," review |publisher=The New Yorker |date= |accessdate=2012-04-09}}</ref> Again, a review in ''The New Yorker'' specified moments on the record to other singers, including Emmylou Harris, [[Judy Collins]], and additionally [[U2]];<ref name="newyorker.com"/> and ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' included her in a weekend feature on singer-songwriters, placing her "in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, [[James Taylor]] and [[Leonard Cohen]].<ref name="Jurgensen"/> ==Personal life== In 2009, Merritt married Zeke Hutchins.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100716/ENT/307160006/1005/ent |title=Tift Merritt makes her own brand of music at Asheville's Orange Peel|last=Jones|first=Amy|work=[[Asheville Citizen-Times]]|date=July 16, 2010|accessdate=2010-07-16}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> ==Discography== ===Studio albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title ! rowspan="2" style="width:18em;"| Album details ! colspan="5"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2" style="width:8em;"| Sales |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! style="width:40px;"| [[Top Country Albums|US Country]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Country Albums C}}|title=Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Country Albums|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> ! style="width:40px;"| [[Billboard 200|US]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=all}}|title=Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> ! style="width:40px;"| [[Top Heatseekers|US Heat]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Heatseekers Albums}}|title=Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Heatseekers Albums|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> ! style="width:40px;"| [[Independent Albums|US Indie]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Independent Albums}}|title=Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Independent Albums|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2012-10-11}}</ref> ! style="width:40px;"| [[Folk Albums|US Folk]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Folk Albums}}|title=Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Folk Albums|publisher=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> |- ! scope="row"| ''[[Bramble Rose]]'' | * Release date: June 4, 2002 * Label: [[Lost Highway Records]] | 47 | — | — | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| ''[[Tambourine (album)|Tambourine]]'' | * Release date: August 24, 2004 * Label: Lost Highway Records | — | — | 21 | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| ''[[Another Country (Tift Merritt album)|Another Country]]'' | * Release date: February 26, 2008 * Label: [[Fantasy Records]] | — | 156 | 1 | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| ''See You on the Moon'' | * Release date: June 1, 2010 * Label: Fantasy Records | — | — | 6 | — | 7 | |- ! scope="row"| ''Traveling Alone'' | * Release date: September 17, 2012 * Label: Yep Roc | — | — | 10 | 46 | 12 | |- ! scope="row"| ''Traveling Companion (Traveling Alone expanded version)'' | * Release date: October, 2013 * Label: Yep Roc Records | — | — | — | — | — | |- ! scope="row"| ''Stitch of the World'' | * Release date: January 27, 2017 * Label: Yep Roc Records | — | — | — | — | — | *US: 3,900<ref>{{cite news |url=http://roughstock.com/news/2017/03/41516-top-10-country-albums-sales-chart-march-6-2017 |title=Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: March 6, 2017 |first= Matt |last= Bjorke |date= March 5, 2017 |work=Roughstock }}</ref> |- | colspan="8" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |} ===Live albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="width:12em;"| Title ! style="width:18em;"| Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''Home Is Loud'' | * Release date: 2005 * Label: RCAM |- ! scope="row"| ''Buckingham Solo'' | * Release date: June 23, 2009 * Label: Vella Recordings |} ===Extended plays=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! style="width:20em;"| Title ! style="width:18em;"| Album details |- ! scope="row"| ''[[The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt]]'' | * Release date: October 26, 1999 * Label: [[Yep Roc Records]] |- ! scope="row"| ''Please Break the Silence of the<br />Middle of the Night'' | * Release date: September 16, 2008 * Label: Fantasy Records |- ! scope="row"| ''Sweet Spot'' | * Release date: January 24, 2012 * Label: Yep Roc |} ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Single !| Peak positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! style="width:65px;"| [[Hot Country Songs|US Country]]<ref name="whitburn"/> |- | rowspan="2"| 2002 ! scope="row"| "Virginia, No One Can Warn You" | — | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="3"| ''Bramble Rose'' |- ! scope="row"| "Sunday" | — |- | 2003 ! scope="row"| "Trouble Over Me" | — |- | rowspan="2"| 2004 ! scope="row"| "Good Hearted Man" | 60 | style="text-align:left;" rowspan="2"| ''Tambourine'' |- ! scope="row"| "Stray Paper" | — |- | 2008 ! scope="row"| "Broken" | — | style="text-align:left;"| ''Another Country'' |- |2010 ! scope="row"| "Mixtape" | — | style="text-align:left;"| ''See You On The Moon'' |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |} ===Music videos=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! Year ! style="width:16em;"| Video ! Director |- | 2002 ! scope="row"| "Virginia, No One Can Warn You" | Douglas Avery<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/387731/virginia-no-one-can-warn-you.jhtml|title=CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Virginia, No One Can Warn You|publisher=[[Country Music Television]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> |- | 2004 ! scope="row"| "Good Hearted Man" | [[Philip Andelman]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/37162/good-hearted-man.jhtml|title=CMT : Videos : Tift Merritt : Good Hearted Man|publisher=[[Country Music Television]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> |- | 2008 ! scope="row"| "Broken" | Martyn Atkins<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/212914/broken.jhtml|title=CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Broken|publisher=[[Country Music Television]]|accessdate=2010-07-26}}</ref> |- | 2010 ! scope="row"| "Engine to Turn" | John Hulme<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hulmeproductions.com/video/tift-merritt/|title=Engine to Turn|publisher=[[Vimeo]]|accessdate=2013-02-03}}</ref> |} ===Appears on=== * 2003: [[Chatham County Line]] - ''Chatham County Line'' (Bonfire) * 2003: [[John Eddie]] - ''Who The Hell Is John Eddie?'' ([[Lost Highway Records|Lost Highway]] * 2003: [[Portastatic]] - ''[[Autumn Was a Lark]]'' ([[Merge Records|Merge]]) * 2004: [[Chris Stamey]] - ''Travels In The South'' ([[Yep Roc Records|Yep Roc]]) * 2006: Sally Spring - ''Mockingbird'' (Sniffinpup) * 2007: [[Charlie Louvin]] - ''Charlie Louvin'' (Tompkins Square) * 2007: [[Teddy Thompson]] - ''[[Upfront & Down Low]]'' ([[Verve Records|Verve]] Forecast) * 2010: Reto Burrell - ''Go'' (Echopark) * 2014: [[Andrew Bird]] - ''[[Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of…]]'' (Wegawam Music) * 2016: [[Andrew Bird]] - ''[[Are You Serious (Andrew Bird album)|Are You Serious]]'' (Loma Vista) * 2016: [[Hiss Golden Messenger]] - ''Heart Like A Levee'' (Merge) ==Awards and nominations== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Association ! Category ! Result |- | 2004 | [[47th Grammy Awards]] | Country Album of the Year – ''Tambourine'' | {{nom}} |- | rowspan="3"| 2005 | rowspan="3"| [[Americana Music Association]] | Album of the Year – ''Tambourine'' | {{nom}} |- | Artist of the Year | {{nom}} |- | Song of the Year – "Good Hearted Man" | {{nom}} |- | 2008 | [[Americana Music Association]] | Song of the Year – "Broken" | {{nom}} |} ==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=30em}} ==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.tiftmerritt.com}} * {{Allmusic | id= tift-merritt-mn0000927795 | label= Tift Merritt}} * {{discogs artist|701655-Tift-Merritt|Tift Merritt}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Tift}} [[Category:1975 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:American rock musicians]] [[Category:American alternative country singers]] [[Category:American female country singers]] [[Category:American country singer-songwriters]] [[Category:Musicians from Raleigh, North Carolina]] [[Category:Lost Highway Records artists]] [[Category:Fantasy Records artists]] [[Category:Musicians from Houston]] [[Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni]] [[Category:Songwriters from North Carolina]] [[Category:Songwriters from Texas]]'