Tift Merritt
Catherine Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975, in Houston, Texas, but moved … Read Full Bio ↴Catherine Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975, in Houston, Texas, but moved to Raleigh, North Carolina soon after) is a critically acclaimed 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 in 1998 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 hiatus 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. Tambourine followed in 2004. Produced by George Drakoulias, featuring Mike Campbell of the Hearbreakers on guitar, Tambourine was a soul-rock throw down, Grammy-nominated for Country Album of the Year, even though it was really not a country album. It was also nominated for three Americana Music Awards. The tour opened for Elvis Costello, recorded Austin City Limits, releasing the performance as a live DVD, and made Home Is Loud, a document of the tour's homecoming concert in Raleigh, NC. As the tour was winding down, Tift ran away to Paris looking for her mojo and, without intending to, started writing songs that would become Another Country. Another Country was released on Fantasy Records in 2008, again with George Drakoulias and her longtime band at the helm. Buckingham Solo, recorded in England, is an intimate concert behind Another Country, released on Fantasy in April 2009. Also in 2009, Tift had her first art exhibit, Other Countries, bringing the journals and pictures behind Another Country to light.
Tift also produces The Spark for KRTS Marfa, Texas Public Radio. The Spark explores the real lives and processes of the people behind great works of art. Guests have included writer Nick Hornby, artist Kiki Smith, songstress and Merge co-founder Mac MCCaughan. Emmylou Harris, when asked about Tift, said, “I first heard Tift Merritt some years ago during a writer's night at a small club in Nashville. She stood out like a diamond in a coal patch, and everyone there knew she carried a promise of great things to come.”
In 2009, Tift married longtime collaborator Zeke Hutchins. They lived in a small Greenwich Village apartment in NYC, and later divorced.
Traveling Alone, her fifth studio album, was recorded in Brooklyn and featuring guest spots from Marc Ribot, Andrew Bird, and others, was released in the fall of 2012.
Her sixth studio Stitch of the World was released in 2017. According to the review in Pop Matters, "The stories surrounding Stitch of the World, Tift Merritt's most recent album, make up their narrative, with divorce, relocation, and childbirth at the center of the tale... But Merritt's gift for the record has been to write a series of songs that sound personal without relying on anything autobiographical... the songs are individual, a capturing of Merritt's vision that's unguarded and inviting without being limited."
http://www.tiftmerritt.com/
Merritt's father taught her guitar chords and Percy Sledge songs. She began her professional career in 1998 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 hiatus 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. Tambourine followed in 2004. Produced by George Drakoulias, featuring Mike Campbell of the Hearbreakers on guitar, Tambourine was a soul-rock throw down, Grammy-nominated for Country Album of the Year, even though it was really not a country album. It was also nominated for three Americana Music Awards. The tour opened for Elvis Costello, recorded Austin City Limits, releasing the performance as a live DVD, and made Home Is Loud, a document of the tour's homecoming concert in Raleigh, NC. As the tour was winding down, Tift ran away to Paris looking for her mojo and, without intending to, started writing songs that would become Another Country. Another Country was released on Fantasy Records in 2008, again with George Drakoulias and her longtime band at the helm. Buckingham Solo, recorded in England, is an intimate concert behind Another Country, released on Fantasy in April 2009. Also in 2009, Tift had her first art exhibit, Other Countries, bringing the journals and pictures behind Another Country to light.
Tift also produces The Spark for KRTS Marfa, Texas Public Radio. The Spark explores the real lives and processes of the people behind great works of art. Guests have included writer Nick Hornby, artist Kiki Smith, songstress and Merge co-founder Mac MCCaughan. Emmylou Harris, when asked about Tift, said, “I first heard Tift Merritt some years ago during a writer's night at a small club in Nashville. She stood out like a diamond in a coal patch, and everyone there knew she carried a promise of great things to come.”
In 2009, Tift married longtime collaborator Zeke Hutchins. They lived in a small Greenwich Village apartment in NYC, and later divorced.
Traveling Alone, her fifth studio album, was recorded in Brooklyn and featuring guest spots from Marc Ribot, Andrew Bird, and others, was released in the fall of 2012.
Her sixth studio Stitch of the World was released in 2017. According to the review in Pop Matters, "The stories surrounding Stitch of the World, Tift Merritt's most recent album, make up their narrative, with divorce, relocation, and childbirth at the center of the tale... But Merritt's gift for the record has been to write a series of songs that sound personal without relying on anything autobiographical... the songs are individual, a capturing of Merritt's vision that's unguarded and inviting without being limited."
http://www.tiftmerritt.com/
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Tift Merritt Lyrics
After Today I never thought I'd see eighteen. I finally got all eyes…
Ain't Looking Closely Perfect sky, The sun and I are going our own way. I…
Ain’t Looking Closely Perfect sky, the sun and I Are going our own way I…
All The Reasons We Don't Have to Fight We used to sleep real late, play our records loud. Times…
Another Country Lost hours and secrets too, No one will find but you, Fallin…
Are You Still In Love With Me After everything I told you, After how I said it'd be, Aft…
Bar With A TV On A taxi comes round with a crowd Of the fashionably late Th…
Bird Of Freedom Where were you when the plane went down? When the president…
Bramble Rose The ungrateful few who tangle inside Don't care where they'…
Broken Once you were a straight shot, a shiny quarter in…
Danny People smile and tell me I'm the lucky one, That we've…
Diamond Shoes Don't you know that the angels, in some wild and…
Drifted Apart You are child when love is born, Can’t stay a child…
Engine To Turn I don't know how to fix the world. I don't know…
Feel Of The World I'll tell you what I will miss California and horses, Down…
Feeling Of Beauty Driving without destination, Leaving our clothes there on t…
Good Hearted Man I swore that I was living free. Oh, you couldn't talk…
Hopes Too High Listen baby, I won't leave no trace Gonna light out of…
I Am Your Tambourine My body was sleeping. Sleep was a lie, Grab hold of my…
I Know Him Too I know you think that I'm just a stranger, Just a…
I Know What I'm Looking For Now Well, I got here early trying to decide If there was…
I'll Be Home For Christmas I'll be home for Christmas You can plan on me Please have…
In the Way The road ahead looks clear and straight from far away. Clos…
Keep You Happy The sky is turning and longing for something far away The…
Laid A Highway This was a town took care of its own. That's what…
Late Night Pilgrim Rain like static falling in my eyes, Rain like static on…
Live Till You Die I have to say the things I feel, I have…
Love love love Yesterday we had a good thing going I loved the way…
Marks An offering here in my winter coat, Touch my face and…
Mille Tendresses La nuit, les bruits s'embrassent sous le vent La pluie ici,…
Mixtape You, how did you get so wise? I take the advice…
Morning Is My Destination With the city closed for evening and the streets dressed…
My Heart Is Free Well, the first thing I remember is the last thing…
Neighborhood I saw you with somebody that you don't love. You like…
Never Talk About It We never talk about it Don't know what to say We never…
Night Rain like static falling in my eyes, Rain like static on…
Papercut Under the skin, But no further in. I've seen it before. I…
Plainest Thing I found a mark Where the ink bled through Under a song I…
See You On The Moon Three legged dog, remember when you brought him home. He was…
Shadow In The Way Before a word is spoken, Everything is broken, Even what y…
Six More Days Of Rain Everything is gray. Gray is a cold steel train. Weatherman i…
Small Talk Relations Skipped a stone and watched it go The arc and then…
Something To Me Late night city after a train A corner dressed in flyers…
Spring Oh, it is a mystery like a lover’s touch, brings…
Still Not Home Jesus at the table in the early morning, Dad, I’ve been…
Still Pretending I hear you coming up the driveway, I tie a ribbon…
Stray Paper I got a postcard with an old address, A picture of…
Sunday I'm gonna have a good cry over nothing but a…
Supposed To Make You Happy Is there something I was gonna tell you? Is there something…
Sweet Spot Nothin' fancy Nothin' fit Nothin' wasted and no deal to…
Tambourine My body was sleeping. Sleep was a lie, Grab hold of my…
Tell Me Something True I woke up beside you in the night afraid When I…
Tender Branch Once I ran like the wildest horse I reached up high…
The Things That Everybody Does Everybody told me this is who you have to be My…
Too Soon To Go Sometimes I hear the song that you are singing, Softly out…
Traveling Alone This morning, if it all was gone, funny thing, it…
Trouble Over Me Late night city after a train A corner dressed in flyers…
Virginia No One Can Warn You With your eyes made up and your dress see through, With…
Wait It Out Well Josie walks around like she's bought herself some brand…
When I Cross Over I don't want to talk to nobody. Don't want to make…
Write My Ticket This city must belong to someone, But it don't belong to…
Your Love Made A U Turn Yesterday we had a good thing going I loved the way…