Michelle Branch

Michelle Jacquet Branch is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She is recognized for her solo recordings as well as her work as part of the country music duo the Wreckers. She achieved widespread acclaim after collaborating with Santana on the 2002 single "The Game of Love," which won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

Branch was born on July 2, 1983, in Sedona, Arizona, to Peggy and David Branch. Her maternal grandmother was from East Java, Indonesia, and spent time in a Japanese internment camp during World War II before relocating to Holland and later settling in Arizona. Branch began singing at age three, enrolled in voice lessons at Northern Arizona University at age eight, and received her first guitar at age 14. She attended Sedona Red Rock High School before completing her secondary education through home schooling to focus on music.

To help establish her career, Branch's parents financed her independent debut album, Broken Bracelet, and helped book local gigs in Sedona. In December 1999, she posted songs on the Rolling Stone website, which brought her to the attention of producer Jeff Rabhan and the band Hanson, leading to two opening performance slots for Hanson in 2000. Her album Broken Bracelet was released on Twin Dragon Records in June 2000.

In 2001, Branch signed with Maverick Records and recorded her second album, The Spirit Room, with producer John Shanks. The album produced major singles including "Everywhere," "All You Wanted," and "Goodbye to You." "Everywhere" won the Viewer's Choice Award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, and the album received a Double Platinum certification from the RIAA. In 2003, Branch was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Her third album, Hotel Paper, was released in 2003, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and earning an RIAA Platinum certification. The lead single, "Are You Happy Now?", earned her a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. During this period, she also made television appearances on series such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Dreams, and Charmed.

In July 2005, Branch formed the country music duo the Wreckers alongside Jessica Harp. Their 2006 debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty, featured the single "Leave the Pieces," which received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The pair was also nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at the 2006 Country Music Association Awards before disbanding in 2007.

Branch released a six-track extended play, Everything Comes and Goes, in 2010. She later signed with Verve Records in 2015 and released her fourth studio album, Hopeless Romantic, in 2017. In 2021, she re-recorded and released a 20th anniversary edition of The Spirit Room. Her fifth studio album, The Trouble with Fever, preceded by the single "I'm a Man," was released in September 2022.