Tift Merritt Explained

Tift Merritt
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Catherine Tift Merritt[1]
Birth Date:8 January 1975[2]
Birth Place:Houston, Texas
Origin:Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
Years Active:1998–present
Associated Acts:The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt
Website:tiftmerritt.com

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.[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.

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

TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionsSales
US Country
[31] 		US
[32] 		US Heat
[33] 		US Indie
[34] 		US Folk
[35]
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 —1561——
See You on the Moon
  • Release date: June 1, 2010
  • Label: Fantasy Records
——6—7
Traveling Alone ——104612
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

TitleAlbum 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

TitleAlbum 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

YearSinglePeak positionsAlbum
US AAA
[37] 		US Country
[38]
2002"Neighborhood"[39] ——Bramble Rose
2004"Good Hearted Man"—60Tambourine
"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

YearVideoDirector
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

YearAssociationCategoryResult
200447th Grammy AwardsCountry Album of the Year – Tambourine
2005Americana Music AssociationAlbum of the Year – Tambourine
Artist of the Year
Song of the Year – "Good Hearted Man"
2008Americana Music AssociationSong of the Year – "Broken"

Notes and References

  1. Book: Whitburn, Joel. Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. 2008. 275. 978-0-89820-177-2.
  2. Web site: Tift Merritt: Biography. April 27, 2017. Deming. Mark. AllMusic.
  3. Web site: Interview: Tift Merritt brings soulful rock to Louisville's Waterfront Wednesday [Music |publisher=Louisville.com |date=July 21, 2010 |access-date=April 9, 2012].
  4. http://www.wfpk.org/waterfront-wednesday-july-2009/
  5. Web site: Kast . Sheilah . Tift Merritt Performs in NPR's Studio 4A . NPR . April 9, 2012.
  6. Web site: Yep Roc Records > Store . Store.yeproc.com . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20120714033945/http://store.yeproc.com/artist.php?id=750 . July 14, 2012 .
  7. http://www.merlefest.org/content.aspx?id=44 Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Winners
  8. Web site: Product Categories . Grand Central Music . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120311004523/http://www.grandcentralmusic.com/music/ . March 11, 2012 .
  9. News: Start of rightcontent.inc . The Washington Post . Richard . Harrington . April 15, 2005.
  10. Web site: Kast . Sheilah . 'Tambourine,' Tift Merritt's 'Rock Soul Throwdown' . NPR . November 7, 2004 . April 9, 2012.
  11. Web site: Tift Merritt . ABC Country . August 24, 2009 . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120505092240/http://abccountry.net.au/artist/tift-merritt . May 5, 2012 .
  12. Web site: Live From Austin TX: Tift Merritt: Tift Merritt: Movies & TV . Amazon . April 9, 2012.
  13. Web site: Blue Rose Records . Bluerose-records.de . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120411034511/http://www.bluerose-records.de/ . April 11, 2012 .
  14. Web site: Franco . Michael . I Felt Like Another Country Myself: An Interview with Tift Merritt < PopMatters . Popmatters.com . February 25, 2008 . April 9, 2012.
  15. News: A Tribute to Bob Dylan, Both Reverent and Rowdy . The New York Times . Jon . Pareles . November 9, 2007.
  16. Web site: See You on the Moon . Concordmusicgroup.com . April 9, 2012 . dead . 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 . February 29, 2012 .
  17. Web site: Americana Music Awards – Nominees for the 2008 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards . Folkmusic.about.com . September 18, 2008 . April 9, 2012.
  18. Web site: Edmonton Folk Music Festival/Festival Archive . 2010 . Official Website . Edmonton Folk Music Festival . Festival Archive/Past Performers 2009 (M) . January 9, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101214140803/http://efmf.ab.ca/004.performers/004-01i.alpha-list/performers-alphalist.M.htm . December 14, 2010 .
  19. Web site: Blitzen Trapper adds dates to summer outing . Livedaily.com . May 14, 2010 . April 9, 2012 . dead . 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 . May 28, 2010 .
  20. Web site: Joan Baez Appears on Pier Tonight . Santa Monica Dispatch . July 9, 2009 . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120311011701/http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2009/07/joan-baez-appears-on-pier-tonight/ . March 11, 2012 .
  21. http://www.pinecone.org/wintermusicfest.html
  22. Web site: On the Beat: David Menconi on music – Tift Merritt sings for change | newsobserver.com blogs . Blogs.newsobserver.com . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120321033601/http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat/tift-merritt-sings-for-change . March 21, 2012 .
  23. http://www.overdublane.com Overdub Lane
  24. Web site: Tift Merritt's 'See You on the Moon' Gets Tracked And Covered . Music.mync.com . March 23, 2010 . April 9, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120226203920/http://music.mync.com/2010/03/tift-merritts-see-you-on-the-moon-gets-tracked-and-covered/ . February 26, 2012 . dead .
  25. Web site: Full Album: Tift Merritt – See You On The Moon . Wxrt.radio.com . February 6, 2010 . April 9, 2012 . dead . https://archive.today/20130201040722/http://wxrt.radio.com/2010/06/02/full-album-tift-merritt-see-you-on-the-moon/ . February 1, 2013 .
  26. News: The Secrets of Songwriters . The Wall Street Journal . John . Jurgensen . August 13, 2010.
  27. Greenman . Ben . Tift Merritt's "See You on the Moon," review . The New Yorker . April 9, 2012.
  28. News: Tift Merritt makes her own brand of music at Asheville's Orange Peel. Jones. Amy. Asheville Citizen-Times. July 16, 2010. July 16, 2010.
  29. Web site: Tift Merritt's homecoming show centers on 'Bramble Rose' album. newsobserver. en. January 15, 2019.
  30. Web site: Live in Denver: With Baby on Board, Tift Merritt Finds Comfort, Joy and Everlasting Love . May 24, 2017 .
  31. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Country Albums C}} Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Country Albums]. Billboard. July 26, 2010.
  32. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=all}} Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Billboard 200]. Billboard. July 26, 2010.
  33. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Heatseekers Albums}} Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Heatseekers Albums]. Billboard. July 26, 2010.
  34. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Independent Albums}} Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Independent Albums]. Billboard. October 11, 2012.
  35. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=tift merritt|chart=Folk Albums}} Tift Merritt Album & Song Chart History: Folk Albums]. Billboard. July 26, 2010.
  36. News: Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: March 6, 2017 . Matt . Bjorke . March 5, 2017 . Roughstock .
  37. Tift Merritt – Chart History (Adult Alternative Airplay). Billboard. February 9, 2023.
  38. Tift Merritt – Chart History (Hot Country Songs). Billboard. February 9, 2023.
  39. Going for Adds (Triple A). 34. Radio & Records. April 26, 2002.
  40. Going for Adds (Triple A). 19. Radio & Records. January 7, 2005.
  41. Web site: Mixtape - Single by Tift Merritt. Apple Music. February 9, 2023.
  42. Web site: To Myself - Single by Tift Merritt. Apple Music. February 9, 2023.
  43. Web site: Tift Merritt - Dusty Old Man. December 13, 2016. Daily Play MPE.
  44. Web site: Tift Merritt - Proclamation Bones. March 22, 2017. Daily Play MPE.
  45. Web site: CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Virginia, No One Can Warn You. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022182417/http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/387731/virginia-no-one-can-warn-you.jhtml. dead. October 22, 2012. Country Music Television. July 26, 2010.
  46. Web site: CMT : Videos : Tift Merritt : Good Hearted Man. https://web.archive.org/web/20080227002119/http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/37162/good-hearted-man.jhtml. dead. February 27, 2008. Country Music Television. July 26, 2010.
  47. Web site: CMT : Videos: Tift Merritt : Broken. https://web.archive.org/web/20080311225114/http://www.cmt.com/videos/tift-merritt/212914/broken.jhtml. dead. March 11, 2008. Country Music Television. July 26, 2010.
  48. Web site: Engine to Turn. Vimeo. February 3, 2013.

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