Tift Merritt

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Catherine Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975, in Houston, Texas, but moved to Raleigh, North Carolina soon after) is an American singer-songwriter, musician. She is currently based in New York

Merritt’s father taught her guitar chords and Percy Sledge songs. She began her professional career with her band The Carbines playing small clubs. In her early twenties, though Tift had gigged by herself, she decided she was not very good at music and better suited for writing short stories. She and her dog Lucy started school at UNC to study creative writing. There, she met Zeke Hutchins, whose band had just taken a haitus and who had decided to become a school teacher. With his encouragement and a big box of LPs from the 70’s that they both liked, they started a band. Zeke set drums up in the kitchen of Tift’s farmhouse on the outskirts of town, and they practiced songs at her red piano. The Carbines played Chapel Hill haunts like the Cave, the Cat’s Cradle, and the front porch of the General Store in Bynum, NC. Tift also made a guest appearance on the Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt EP.

In 2000, Tift won Merlefest’s Chris Austin Songwriting contest, and with the help of Ryan Adams, found herself with a manager and a recording contract with Lost Highway records. The band headed to LA to record her first release, Bramble Rose, in 2002, produced by Ethan Johns. The record landed on Time Magazine’s and New Yorker’s top ten lists and was called the best debut of the year in any genre by the Associated Press.
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Top Albums

  • Another Country
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  • See You On The Moon
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  • Tambourine
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  • Bramble Rose
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  • aybesea69

    Listened again last night... her take on alt-country is refreshing... good stuff!

    last week
  • davidgeorgea

    Ah what a nice song I loved her a lot ...(*_*)..

    February 2012
  • Andreas85

    Saw Tift Merritt on Hart of Dixie, on the CW. Great appearance. I love the new song.

    February 2012
  • echo725

    Her music really hasn't been very Country-oriented since Tambourine. Her stuff is more Singer-Songwriter now.

    January 2012
  • Vulgaira

    :) talentoo

    October 2011
  • Druid66

    Tift is a tremendous rising star of alt-country. She has almost a gospel-y voice flying over her twangy guitars, that's a cool combo.

    August 2011
  • Jimmy_Maher

    Tift is incredibly talented. Do your friends a favor and make them aware of her. Don't categorize her music, just enjoy it!

    May 2011
  • cousinbull

    future crossover star

    May 2011
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