[4] Merritt joined a band called the Carbines and played small clubs in the cities of Chapel Hill and Raleigh.

[5] 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.

[8] 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.

[9] 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.

[citation needed] Merritt has been the opening act for Joan Baez,[20] Kris Kristofferson,[21] and sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" for then-Senator Barack Obama at his last campaign rally.

[27] A review in The New Yorker praised her[27] and The Wall Street Journal included her in a weekend feature on singer-songwriters, describing her as "in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Leonard Cohen".