Tift Merritt (born January 8, 1975) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in Houston, Texas, Merritt moved to North Carolina at a young age.

Merritt began her career playing small clubs in Chapel Hill and Raleigh. In 1999, she released a 7-song EP with the Two Dollar Pistols, led by John Howie, Jr. The EP was very much a country music compilation as it featured two original songs and five covers, including Charley Pride's "I'm So Afraid of Losing You Again".

In 2002, after signing with the Lost Highway label, Merritt released her debut album Bramble Rose to wide critical acclaim, including selection by Time as one of the top-10 CDs of the year. The Times called it "the best release by a new artist, in any genre." While this first release was largely an alt-country affair, her follow-up release, 2005's Tambourine, took her in more of a rock/soul direction. The album was produced by famed roots rock producer George Drakoulias and featured backing by Benmont Tench and Mi