Tift Merritt

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

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 educationEdit

Merritt was born in Houston and grew up in Raleigh.<ref name=DemingAllMusic /> She credits her father's eclectic taste in music as a major influence.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> At the age of 20, Merritt enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study creative writing.<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive</ref>

CareerEdit

Merritt joined a band called the Carbines and played small clubs in the cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2000, Merritt won the MerleFest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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>Template:Cite news</ref>

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.Template:Citation needed The album was nominated for a best country album Grammy Award in 2004.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was nominated for Americana Music Association: Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year in 2005<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Merritt's performance on Austin City Limits was released as a DVD on New West Records.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Another CountryEdit

Released on Fantasy Records in 2008, Another Country featured guitarist Charlie Sexton. Merritt wrote the album in a Paris apartment.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Paste magazine gave the album a four-star review.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The song "Broken" was nominated for an Americana Music Award for Song of the Year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Merritt EFMF 2009">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While touring England, Merritt recorded the album Buckingham Solo, which was released on Fantasy Records in April 2009.Template:Citation needed

File:Tift Merritt cs.jpg

Merritt on stage in Seattle in 2010

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

Merritt has been the opening act for Joan Baez,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kris Kristofferson,<ref>[2] Template:Webarchive</ref> and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for then-Senator Barack Obama at his last campaign rally.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See You on the MoonEdit

Merritt's album, See You on the Moon, was released in June 2010 on Fantasy Records.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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

ReceptionEdit

Merrit's sound has been described as "sonic short stories and poignant performances."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She has been compared to artists like Joni Mitchell<ref name="Jurgensen">Template:Cite news</ref> and Emmylou Harris.<ref name="newyorker.com">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

A review in The New Yorker praised her<ref name="newyorker.com"/> 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".<ref name="Jurgensen"/>

Personal lifeEdit

In 2009, Merritt married Zeke Hutchins.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Dead link</ref> They separated in late 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2016, she and Eric Heywood had a daughter named Jean.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

DiscographyEdit

Studio albumsEdit

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions					Sales
Title	Album details	US Country <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US Heat <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	Sales	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US Indie <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	US Folk <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
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<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Live albumsEdit

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 playsEdit

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

SinglesEdit

Year	Single	Peak positions		Album
Year	Single	US AAA <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	US Country <ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	Album
2002	"Neighborhood"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	—	—	Bramble Rose
2004	"Good Hearted Man"	—	60	Tambourine
2004	"Stray Paper"<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	—	—	Tambourine
2008	"Broken"	28	—	Another Country
2010	"Mixtape"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	—	—	See You on the Moon
2012	"To Myself"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	—	—	Traveling Alone
2016	"Dusty Old Man"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	—	—	Stitch of the World
2017	"Proclamation Bones"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	—	—	Stitch of the World
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

Music videosEdit

Year	Video	Director
2002	"Virginia, No One Can Warn You"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2004	"Good Hearted Man"	Philip Andelman<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2008	"Broken"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2010	"Engine to Turn"	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2013	"Only in Songs / Night and Dreams"

Appears onEdit

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 nominationsEdit

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

ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:Official website
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