The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt
| Tift Merritt | |
|---|---|
Merritt on stage in Silk Hope, NC in 2007.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Catherine Tift Merritt |
| Born |
January 8, 1975 Houston, Texas |
| Origin | Raleigh, North Carolina, United States |
| Genres |
Folk Americana Alternative country |
| Occupation(s) | Musician songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals guitar Keyboards Piano Harmonica |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Lost Highway, Fantasy, Yep Roc |
| Associated acts | The Two Dollar Pistols with Tift Merritt |
| Website | www.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.
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, Merrit enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study creative writing.
Merritt joined a band called, The Carbines, and played small clubs in 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, Merrit 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 Carolin was released under the title, Home Is Loud, that same year.
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