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