Michelle Branch

Just three years after Michelle Branch first picked up a guitar at the age of 14, she was signed to Maverick Records with an album in stores. Branch's debut, The Spirit Room, was produced by John Shanks (Melissa Etheridge, Chris Isaak) and issued in August 2001, spawning the leadoff hit single/video "Everywhere." Although she lists such classic rock acts as Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and Jimi Hendrix as prime influences, Branch's music is more akin to such modern-day female artists as Lisa Loeb, Alanis Morissette, and Melissa Etheridge, something her more mature 2003 album Hotel Paper displayed. In 2005 it was announced that Branch had begun a project with Nashville singer/songwriter Jessica Harp. Originally dubbed the Homewreckers, the duo shortened their name to The Wreckers and released their debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, in 2006. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide