Alt-country songstress Tift Merritt [ tickets ] continues backing her third album, "Another Country," with tour dates that go deep into October. Her jaunt includes a June 12 stop on "The Late Show With David Letterman," during which she'll back Emmylou Harris, and a return appearance on June 25 with her own band. Merritt will also hit the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Grand Ole Opry's outdoor plaza, as well as the Camayo Cruise with Lyle Lovett, Patty Griffin, John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin. Details are posted below.Merritt won critical acclaim for her 2002 debut, "Bramble Rose," and scored a Grammy nomination in 2004 for her sophomore set, "Tambourine." After nearly four years of nonstop touring behind those albums, she retreated to a flat with a piano in Paris where she penned songs for "Another Country," her debut for Fantasy Records. The set, produced by George Drakoulias, features guitarists Charlie Sexton and Doug Pettibone, along with Tift's longtime bandmates: drummer Zeke Hutchins, bassist Jay Brown and keyboardist Danny Eisenberg.Merritt has her own public radio program, "The Spark," which debuted Jan. 27 online and on KRTS-FM in Marfa, TX.
