# 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.

## Early life and education

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

## Career

Merritt joined a band called the Carbines and played small clubs in the cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh. 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.
In 2000, Merritt won the MerleFest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest 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. 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.
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. She was nominated for Americana Music Association: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year in 2005 Merritt's performance on Austin City Limits was released as a DVD on New West Records. 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.

### Another Country

Released on Fantasy Records in 2008, Another Country featured guitarist Charlie Sexton. Merritt wrote the album in a Paris apartment. Paste magazine gave the album a four-star review. The song "Broken" was nominated for an Americana Music Award for Song of the Year. While touring England, Merritt recorded the album Buckingham Solo, which was released on Fantasy Records in April 2009.
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, Kris Kristofferson, and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for then-Senator Barack Obama at his last campaign rally.

### See You on the Moon

Merritt's album, See You on the Moon, was released in June 2010 on Fantasy Records.
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." She has been compared to artists like Joni Mitchell and Emmylou Harris.
A review in The New Yorker praised her 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".

## Personal life

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

## Discography
### Studio albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Album details | US Country | US | US Heat | US Indie | US Folk | Sales |
| Bramble Rose | Release date: June 4, 2002 Label: Lost Highway Records | 47 | — | — | — | — | |
| Tambourine | Release date: August 24, 2004 Label: Lost Highway Records | — | — | 21 | — | — | |
| Another Country | Release date: February 26, 2008 Label: Fantasy Records | — | 156 | 1 | — | — | |
| See You on the Moon | Release date: June 1, 2010 Label: Fantasy Records | — | — | 6 | — | 7 | |
| Traveling Alone | Release date: September 17, 2012 Label: Yep Roc Records | — | — | 10 | 46 | 12 | |
| Night (with Simone Dinnerstein) | Release date: March 2013 Label: Sony Classical | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 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 | — | — | — | — | — | US: 3,900 |
| "—" 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) | Release date: April 10, 2020 Label: Yep Roc Records |

### Extended plays

| Title | Album details |
| The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt | Release date: October 26, 1999 Label: Yep Roc Records |
| 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 | Peak positions | Album |
| Year | Single | US AAA | US Country | Album |
| 2002 | "Neighborhood" | — | — | Bramble Rose |
| 2004 | "Good Hearted Man" | — | 60 | Tambourine |
| 2004 | "Stray Paper" | — | — | Tambourine |
| 2008 | "Broken" | 28 | — | Another Country |
| 2010 | "Mixtape" | — | — | See You on the Moon |
| 2012 | "To Myself" | — | — | Traveling Alone |
| 2016 | "Dusty Old Man" | — | — | Stitch of the World |
| 2017 | "Proclamation Bones" | — | — | Stitch of the World |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |||||

### Music videos

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

### Appears on

* 2003: Chatham County Line – Chatham County Line (Bonfire)
* 2003: John Eddie – Who The Hell Is John Eddie? (Lost Highway
* 2003: Portastatic – Autumn Was a Lark (Merge)
* 2004: Chris Stamey – Travels in the South (Yep Roc)
* 2006: Sally Spring – Mockingbird (Sniffinpup)
* 2007: Charlie Louvin – Charlie Louvin (Tompkins Square)
* 2007: Teddy Thompson – Upfront & Down Low (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 (Loma Vista)
* 2016: Hiss Golden Messenger – Heart Like A Levee (Merge)

## 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 |
| 2005 | Americana Music Association | Artist of the Year | Nominated |
| 2005 | Americana Music Association | Song of the Year – "Good Hearted Man" | Nominated |
| 2008 | Americana Music Association | Song of the Year – "Broken" | Nominated |