Michelle Branch seemed to come out of nowhere in the early 2000s when she wowed the world with her first two pop albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper. She had a Grammy-winning collaboration with Santana and multiple hit singles. But she didn't stop there. In 2005 she also formed a country duo with Jessica Harp, The Wreckers. From pop to country music, Branch was on fire, so why did The Wreckers break up after just a few short years?
Jessica Harp had been Branch's longtime friend and backup singer so she was a no-brainer to form a collaboration with. The two artists merged together their country and pop/rock styles. Their band name was taken from an idea provided by Branch's first husband, Teddy Landau — "The Cass County Homewreckers." The name was shortened and pretty soon the duo had a deal with Maverick Records. Like many bands in the 2000s, they first made a name for themselves after "The Good Kind" was featured on an episode of the teen show One Tree Hill. The duo even hit the road in 2005 and toured with the One Tree Hill Tour around the country with Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton, and Bethany Joy Galeotti. They hadn't even released an album yet, which was frustrating for Branch at the time.
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Looking back on the Wreckers, there's no doubt the song "Leave the Pieces" comes to mind. It was their lead single when their debut album Stand Still, Look Pretty was released and a major hit on country radio. The duo had a major debut with a top 5 album on the country charts, two charting singles with "My Oh My" and "Leave the Pieces," and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. So why did the two friends split up after releasing only one country album together?
What Happened to The Wreckers?
They duo stated they split to work on solo careers. The next time fans saw The Wreckers perform together was when Branch invited Harp to perform on stage when she stopped in Nashville, Tennessee on her Hopeless Romantic tour in 2017. To be fair, in recent years both women have been busy with family as well. Branch married Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and they welcomed a child together in addition to Branch's daughter from her previous relationship. Harp, a country artist who has released two solo albums over the years, has also been busy raising a daughter. But it appears that since both women live in Nashville, the moment has come for The Wreckers to reunite.
Branch and Harp have both teased a potential reunion on social media. They made an official Instagram account for the band with the cheeky caption "2020 doesn't deserve this. See you in 2021." Harp posted on her personal account with a photo that said "Coming Soon" and Branch told fans to follow the band's new account for updates on new music. We can't wait to see what they have in the works!
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