Spotlights: Tift Merritt

Texas-born, North Carolina-raised Tift Merritt is still a relative unknown, but that's all about to change. Lost Highway Records will release her debut, Bramble Rose, in June, and her sweet vocals -- think a young Emmylou Harris or Maria McKee -- combined with penetrating songs filled with one memorable hook after another are sure to attract a large audience. Citing influences like Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, and Kitty Wells, Merritt's music possesses a decidedly American sound with a strong country bias that's decidedly free of cliché.

Merritt isn't a total rookie, however. Alt.country fans are probably familiar with her name, if not her music, through a major article that appeared in No Depression, and she has a large following in her hometown of Raleigh. Yet surprisingly, this her first full CD, beyond a 7-inch single that she released with her band the Carbines. She's just begun to prepare for the adventure ahead of her.

"Something that has already changed," she muses, "is that two years ago when we played SXSW, we drove a van and I booked the tour to and from Texas. This year, we're flying in for this one show."

One of Merritt's most impressive facets is that in talking to her, one gets the notion she's grounded in the music, not the music business.

"Now, my job is to make good music," she agrees. "That's why Lost Highway's an amazing place, because at the end of the day, it's all about the music. They allowed me to play music without a record as a frame of reference and I think that's positive. Honestly, if we had made a record two years ago, we wouldn't have made this record. I was able to work on my songs and the time just made it all better. We made something that I'm really proud of."