Tift Merritt will celebrate the 20th anniversary of her breakthrough album ‘Tambourine' with a two-part release arriving on 29th August 2025.
The long-awaited vinyl reissue of the original album will arrive with ‘Time and Patience', a deeply intimate companion piece featuring home-recorded demos and never-before-heard material from the early 2000s. Together, the two releases honour Merritt’s living legacy while offering a rare window into the emotional journey behind one of Americana’s most beloved voices.
Prior to the release of these very special albums, Merritt will perform live in the UK for the first time in 8 years, at London’s Oslo on 25th June and at the legendary Glastonbury Festival on 27th June.
Originally released in 2004, ‘Tambourine' earned Merritt a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album and critical acclaim for its genre-defying blend of southern soul, poetic lyricism, and fearless songwriting. Produced by George Drakoulias and featuring contributions from Mike Campbell, Maria McKee, Neal Casal, and Don Heffington, Tambourine became a cult favorite and a foundational text for a generation of Americana artists.
Now, for the first time in years, ‘Tambourine' returns to wax – remastered and reissued on vinyl, restoring the record’s rich analog warmth and expansive spirit for longtime fans and new listeners alike.
Paired with this reissue is ‘Time and Patience: Tambourine Kitchen Recordings', a new collection of intimate home demos and original songs that capture the raw beginnings and enduring emotional current of the ‘Tambourine' era. Recorded in her North Carolina kitchen in the early 2000s – with nothing but a spiral notebook, her voice, and her dog Lucy watching—these recordings offer a rare glimpse of an artist reaching, reckoning, and writing her way into the world.
“When I hear my 27-year-old self belting these songs, I hear my dreams,” Merritt writes in the liner notes. “I hear my intentions—and those intentions are true. Writing songs and singing them was where I went to be free.”
The ‘Tambourine (20th Anniversary Edition)' vinyl and ‘Time and Patience‘ will be available 29th August 2025 via One Riot Records, ‘Time and Patience' will also be available on all streaming platforms. The ‘Tambourine' reissue is dedicated to the late Neal Casal and Don Heffington, cherished members of Merritt’s studio band.
2025 Tour Dates
- June 25 – London, UK – Oslo Hackney
- June 27 – Pilton, UK – Glastonbury Festival
- June 29 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
- June 30 – Eindhoven, Netherlands – Muziekgebouw Eindhoven
- July 1 – Milano, Italy – Art Library *
- July 2 – Galzignano Terme, Italy – Amphitheater of Venda *
* with Andrew Bird
‘Tambourine' Tracklist
- Stray Paper
- Wait It Out
- Good Hearted Man
- Ain’t Looking Closely
- Still Pretending
- Write My Ticket
- Your Love Made A U Turn
- Plainest Thing
- Late Night Pilgrim
- I Am Your Tambourine
- Laid a Highway
- Shadow in the Way
‘Time & Patience' Tracklist
- Write My Ticket Home (Kitchen Recording)
- Plainest Thing (Kitchen Recording)
- Avalon Pier
- Still Pretending (Kitchen Recording)
- Good Hearted Man (Kitchen Recording)
- 4th Street Windowsill
- Stray Paper (Kitchen Recording)
- Broad Daylight
- Time And Patience (Cabin Recording)
- Last Day I Knew What To Do
