"I'd say that's probably the most autobiographical song on the record," said Merritt. "I felt like that song lyrically and musically came together pretty quickly. It sort of wrote itself, and that doesn't happen all the time."

Other songs such as the unabashedly emotional "Keep You Happy" are bound to elicit tears from some listeners, as Merritt shows her knack for wrapping her richly expressive voice around an honest, achingly real sentiment in the manner of some of her own favorites like Emmylou Harris and Carole King. These songs reflect a noticeable maturity in Merritt's work, and a more potent resonance in her vocals.

"I'm definitely thinking a lot [on this record] about how I'm just at an age where I'm not that old, but I'm old enough that what I thought my life would be like and what my life is, they really had to come to peace with each other, you know? There's a certain amount of reality that you face."

Merritt, of course, has the familiarity of her North Carolina home and family to return to when the touring/traveling adventures halt for awhile. She grew up in the coastal state and loves it there, saying that she believes in "regionalism."

"I think France and North Carolina have more in common than they realize," she said. "It's a very particular place; it's got a particular speed. You just have to come here and experience it. As far as North Carolina goes, I think it's a place where people are really good at telling stories. They're really good at not so much lying, just kind of stretching to put the point home. I think about that a lot when I'm songwriting. I feel that's something I learned here, the great art of exaggeration."

Though she was actually born in Texas, Merritt moved to North Carolina with her family at a young age. She learned to play music from her dad, who performed locally on weekends and was always encouraging. Merritt began playing clubs in Raleigh and Chapel Hill in the late '90s, releasing a seven-song country EP in 1999 with the Two Dollar Pistols, a band led by John Howie, Jr. The disc was mostly covers, but in 2002 she signed with the Lost Highway label and showcased her true songwriting gifts on Bramble Rose. The naturalism and grace of her music has been wowing critics and fans ever since.

"I'm really lucky that my audiences tend to be really nice people," said Merritt when asked about the kinds of people who come to her shows. "I get a lot of really nice letters from people who come to the shows or just come across the album. It's not always easy to be out there on the road, so it means a lot to get their encouragement."

And the most enjoyable aspect of being a musician for Ms. Merritt?

"The writing. The time when you get to write songs, and be a writer, that's my favorite part. Everything else kind of comes from that." | Kevin Renick

Catch Tift Merritt on tour this fall:

09.04: Visulite, Charlotte
09.05: Grey Eagle, Asheville
09.06: Variety, Atlanta
09.07: Workplay, Birmingham, Ala.
09.09: Rhythm & Brews, Chattanooga
09.11: Blueberry Hill, St. Louis
09.12: Southgate House, Newport, Ky.
09.13: Original Highlands Art & Music Festival, Louisville
09.19: Discovery Indie Series/Attucks Theatre, Norfolk, Va.
09.26: Center for the Arts/Jackson Hole Music Experience, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
09.27: The Bouquet, Boise
09.29: The Triple Door, Seattle
09.30: The Annex, Bend, Ore.
10.01: The Shedd Institute for the Arts, Bend, Ore.
10.02: KRSH's Backyard Concert Series, Santa Rosa, Calif.
10.04: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco
10.11: Chicago Country Music Festival (Americana stage), Chicago

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