Michelle Branch
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. |
Michelle Branch |
|---|
Michelle Branch (born July 2, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. During the early 2000s, she released two top-selling albums, The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper, as well as singles such as "Everywhere," "All You Wanted," "Goodbye To You," "Are You Happy Now?," "Breathe" and the Grammy-winning collaboration with Santana, "The Game of Love." She was nominated in 2003 for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Following her marriage and subsequent pregnancy in 2004, Branch placed her career on hold. In 2005, she formed the country music duo The Wreckers with friend and fellow musician Jessica Harp, and produced a Grammy-nominated single "Leave the Pieces." Despite that success, the band took a break in 2007 to pursue their solo careers. Her new album Everything Comes and Goes will explore her acoustic/alternative musical roots as well as country music, and will most likely be released in 2010.
Biography
1983-2000: Early life and Broken Bracelet
Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch was born on July 2, 1983 in Sedona Arizona to an Irish father and a mother of Dutch Indonesian ancestry. She was named after the Beatles song Michelle and her surname is of French origin. She went to grade school at St. Mary's Catholic School (now called San Francisco de Asis School) in Flagstaff Arizona where her passion for music was sparked by Sr. Yolanda at the Friday school masses at Nativity Church. Branch received a guitar for her fourteenth birthday from her uncle and she immediately taught herself chords, and she composed her first song within a few days. During high school, she began writing songs extensively. She initially attended Sedona Red Rock High School but was soon continuing her education through home schooling. Branch's career began with the release of Broken Bracelet, an album released on the independent record label Twin Dragon Records on June 1, 2000. Its title was inspired by an occurrence at a Lisa Loeb concert she attended. Before the concert began, musician Steve Poltz gave her a bracelet made by pop singer Jewel; he told Michelle that "when it breaks, you'll be famous." A year later the bracelet snapped and she thought nothing of it.
2001-2004: The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper
Branch soon signed a recording deal with Maverick Records while opening for Hanson in December 2000. Her first album for the label The Spirit Room was released in August 2001, producing the hit single "Everywhere," which won the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards Viewer's Choice Award. This was followed by "All You Wanted" and "Goodbye to You." Comparisons to other popular singers Marion Raven, Avril Lavigne, and Vanessa Carlton soon followed, all of whom rose to prominence at around the same time.[1] In 2002, her career as an artist began to blossom when she teamed up with Santana on the song "The Game of Love," which went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. She would then earn a Grammy nomination in 2003 for Best New Artist, but was edged out by Norah Jones. Her second album Hotel Paper was released in 2003 and was met with mixed reviews. The lead single "Are You Happy Now?" was a chart success, and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, but was edged out by Pink's "Trouble." The following singles, however, "Breathe" and "'Til I Get over You," did not match the first single's success. Branching out into television, she appeared in several shows, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, American Dreams, and Charmed. In June, 2004 she hosted MTV's "Faking the Video" alongside Nick Lachey and JC Chasez.[2] She also appeared in the Rob Schneider film The Hot Chick.
2005-2007:The Wreckers
Branch decided to collaborate with her backup singer and longtime friend Jessica Harp on a new project in July, 2005. They were initially known as the "The Cass County Homewreckers" as a joke by Branch's husband, but they trimmed it down to The Wreckers. Their album attempted to combine their respective genres, pop rock and country. It was originally slated for release in June, 2005 but was delayed because of reasons surrounding Branch's pregnancy. The duo's first single "Leave the Pieces" was released in February, 2006, while their album Stand Still, Look Pretty was released in May. During this period, they contributed to Santana's album All That I Am, with the song "I'm Feeling You," appeared in the American teen television drama One Tree Hill, and joined country music stars Rascal Flatts and Gary Allan on a U.S. tour. They initially toured with Gavin DeGraw. The album did not satisfy some of her fans, who voiced their displeasure on the message boards for The Wreckers' official website, which had to be shut down. Despite the negative backlash, the group was nominated for the 2006 CMA Awards Vocal Duo of the Year and for a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for the song "Leave the Pieces" in December, 2006. Stand Still, Look Pretty was certified Gold by the RIAA with sales of 851,000 copies as of March 2009. As of early August, 2007, Branch and Jessica Harp announced on the band's official message board that they were putting the band on hold while they moved forward with solo albums. Subsequent press statements have made it clear that The Wreckers, at least as a partnership between Branch and Harp, is no more.
2008-present: Everything Comes and Goes
Immediately thereafter, Branch wrote an unreleased song for Mandy Moore's 2007 album Wild Hope[citation needed] and also wrote "Together" for the soundtrack of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ("Together" was also featured as the final song ever played on the CBS TV soap opera, Guiding Light). In October 2007, she announced that she was working on a new solo album and later reported the title would be Everything Comes and Goes. In June 2008, she played several live shows in preparation for the album's release with her sister Nicole singing backing vocals. She was also quoted in Billboard as saying the album would retain a country flavor. A few song titles discussed were "Long Goodbye," "Texas In The Mirror," "This Way," and the ballad "Crazy Ride." On her web site, Branch put up a 46-second clip of her new single "This Way" and in February 2009 released the full song as a free download for her web site's members. Also in early 2009, she sang the song "I Lose My Heart" in a duet with Chris Isaak on his new album Mr. Lucky. The first single from the album "Sooner Or Later" was released on July 28, 2009. According to Michelle, the album will not be coming out November 10, 2009 like previously planned. The team responsible for promoting the record is no longer with the label, so before they release the album, Michelle wants to make sure their is a proper team in place to promote the record. Early 2010 is most likely.
Personal life
Branch married her bass player Teddy Landau in Mexico on May 23, 2004, and gave birth to a baby girl named Owen Isabelle on August 3, 2005. Prior to meeting her husband she dated guitarist Sean Woolstenhulme of Lifehouse and The Calling.[3][4]
Her other relatives include an older half-brother named David, a younger sister named Nicole, a maternal grandmother, who was held by the Japanese in an internment camp during World War II, and a maternal grandfather, who was French and Indonesian.[5]
During 2007, she sold her Calabasas home, and in January 2008 moved to Nashville.[6][7] On June 15, 2008, Branch announced on her official message board that she will be fulfilling a lifelong dream by opening a bakery in Nashville called "The Sugar Bar" with pastry chef Rebekka Seale.[8] The plan was later postponed so that she could focus on her music career.
Musical style
Branch owns at least fourteen guitars, but mainly uses a Gibson Hummingbird after retiring her blue Taylor 614ce. In 2009 she began using a custom made Hummingbird which is the only white one in existence. In addition to the guitar, she also plays other instruments such as the piano, drums, and mandolin. She states that her music has been influenced by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Aerosmith, Patsy Cline, Cat Stevens, Stevie Nicks, and Joni Mitchell,[citation needed] but also enjoys listening to more contemporary artists such as Incubus, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Metallica, Silverchair, Madonna, Lisa Loeb, Sheryl Crow, and Patty Griffin. Her other interests include classical music and older country music.[9][10][11]
Discography
| Michelle Branch discography | |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | 4 |
| Singles | 9 |
| Music videos | 8 |
| Miscellaneous | 1 |
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions[12] | Certifications[13] (sales threshold) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US | CAN | UK | NZ | AUS | ||||
| 2000 | Broken Bracelet
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001 | The Spirit Room
|
— | 28 | — | 54 | — | 25 |
| |
| 2003 | Hotel Paper
|
— | 2 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 18 |
| |
| 2009 | Everything Comes and Goes
|
To be released - ??? | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions[14][12] | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | US Country | UK | AUS | PHIL | ||||
| 2001 | "Everywhere" | 12 | — | — | 18 | 19 | 1 | The Spirit Room | |
| 2002 | "All You Wanted" | 6 | 30 | — | 33 | 25 | 1 | ||
| "Goodbye to You" | 21 | — | — | — | — | 8 | |||
| 2003 | "Are You Happy Now?" | 16 | — | — | 31 | 33 | 1 | Hotel Paper | |
| "Breathe" | — | 36 | — | 27 | 46 | 1 | |||
| 2004 | "Till I Get Over You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009 | "Sooner or Later"A | 93 | 47 | Everything Comes and Goes | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist(s) | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Pop |
US AC | UK | AUS | |||||
| 2002 | "The Game of Love" | Santana | 5 | — | 1 | 16 | 21 | Shaman | |
| 2005 | "I'm Feeling You" | Santana (as Michelle Branch & The Wreckers) |
55 | 56 | 5 | — | — | All That I Am | |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
- A Current single.
Miscellaneous
| Year | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "I Lose My Heart" duet with Chris Isaak | Mr. Lucky |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Everywhere" | Liz Friedlander |
| 2002 | "All You Wanted" | Liz Friedlander |
| "Goodbye to You" | Francis Lawrence | |
| "The Game of Love" (with Santana) | Paul Fedor | |
| 2003 | "Are You Happy Now?" | Meiert Avis |
| "Breathe" | Marc Klasfeld | |
| 2005 | "I'm Feeling You" (with Santana & The Wreckers) | |
| 2009 | "This Way" | Raphael Mazucco |
| "Sooner or Later" | Liz Friedlander |
Filmography
(acting roles only)
| Year | Film / Show | Role | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) | Herself / Musical Guest | Tabula Rasa |
| 2002 | American Dreams | Leslie Gore | The End of the Innocence |
| 2002 | The Hot Chick | DJ | |
| 2003 | Charmed | Herself / Musical Guest | Centennial Charmed |
| 2005 | One Tree Hill | Herself / Musical Guest | The Hero Dies In This One |
Awards
| Year | Organization | Award[15] | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | MTV Video Music Awards | Best Female Video ("All You Wanted") | Nominated |
| Best Pop Video ("All You Wanted") | |||
| Viewer's Choice ("Everywhere") | Won | ||
| 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals —("The Game of Love" with Santana) | |
| Best New Artist | Nominated | ||
| 2004 | Best Female Rock Vocal Performance — ("Are You Happy Now?") | ||
| 2006 | Country Music Association | Vocal Duo of the Year (as The Wreckers) | |
| 2007 | Grammy Awards | Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal — ("Leave the Pieces" as The Wreckers) | |
| Music Row Awards | Major Label Breakout Artist of the Year (as The Wreckers) | Won | |
| R&R Readers' Poll | Best New Performer (as The Wreckers) |
References
- ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1002775,00.html
- ^ http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/stars%20team%20up%20for%20new%20prank%20show "Contactmusic.com" Retrieved on 04-13-07
- ^ Melissa Worden (September 14,2001). "Breakout: Michelle Branch". usatoday.com.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Dan Frazier (January 11,2006). "Lifehouse to bring down the house tonight at Varsity Gym". theapp.appstate.edu.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); line feed character in|title=at position 34 (help) - ^ Mike Kai (November 25, 2003). "A Conversation with Michelle Branch". asianconnections.com.
- ^ "Singer, songwriter and guitarist Michelle Branch sells her five-bedroom, 5,296-square-foot (492.0 m2) house in Calabasas, CA for $2.94M; now lives in Nashville, TN". Big Time Listings. 2007-11-07. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
- ^ Wood, E. Thomas (2008-02-05). "Headline homes: Nashville's top 10 sales, January 2008". NashvillePost.com accessdate=2008-02-05.
{{cite news}}: Missing pipe in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Michelle Branch (June 15, 2008). "The Sugar Bar". board.michellebranch.com.
- ^ [1] Rolling Stone magazine, 6/17/03 Retrieved on 02-24-08
- ^ SingerUniverse Magazine - The Wreckers article
- ^ CMT.com : Marty Robbins : The Wreckers Won't Stand Still
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 75. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2002 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 8 2007.
- ^ Michelle Branch discography. Billboard. Retrieved December 15 2007.
- ^ Awards and nominations of Michelle Branch
External links
- 1983 births
- Actors from Arizona
- Actors from California
- Actors from Tennessee
- American child actors
- American child singers
- American country singer-songwriters
- American female singers
- American female guitarists
- American multi-instrumentalists
- American pianists
- American pop singers
- American rock singer-songwriters
- American vegans
- Female rock singers
- Grammy Award winners
- Living people
- Dutch Americans
- Indonesian Americans
- Irish Americans
- Musicians from Arizona
- Musicians from California
- Musicians from Tennessee
- People from Los Angeles, California
- People from Nashville, Tennessee
- People from Sedona, Arizona
- The Wreckers members
- Warner Bros. Records artists