The Wreckers

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The Wreckers
Origin Flag of the United States USA
Genre(s) Country pop
Years active 2004-Present
(On hiatus since 2007)
Label(s) Maverick/Warner Bros.
Website thewreckers.com
Members
Michelle Branch
Jessica Harp

The Wreckers is an American country pop duo formed in 2004 by singer-songwriters Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp. In 2006, the duo released its debut album Stand Still, Look Pretty, which produced a Number One single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs in its lead-off single "Leave the Pieces." The album peaked at number 4 on the US Country chart. As of early August, 2007, both Jessica Harp and Michelle Branch announced that they were putting the band on hold, while they both go forward with solo albums. This was announced on the band's official message board, that was later closed in early October of 2007.

Contents

[edit] Career

[edit] Beginnings

The Wreckers were formed when Michelle Branch recruited her longtime friend and backing vocalist Jessica Harp -- who, at the time, was en route to signing a record deal of her own -- on a new musical venture, incorporating elements from both Branch's pop-rock style and Harp's classical style to form a unique-sounding duo. Thus, The Wreckers (a shortened form of the second band name given to the girls by Michelle's husband Teddy Landau, "The Cass County Homewreckers") were formed, and signed to Maverick Records. Soon, their song "The Good Kind" -- originally recorded solely by Harp -- was featured on the hit teen television series One Tree Hill. They performed this song on the show on February 8, 2005. Later that month, the duo embarked on the month-long, nation-wide One Tree Hill Tour alongside Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton, and Bethany Joy Lenz. Branch later expressed her dislike of going on tour without releasing an album first, and The Wreckers then attempted to release their debut album, Stand Still, Look Pretty. However, the album faced several delays.[citation needed]

[edit] 2006 – 2007: Stand Still, Look Pretty

Stand Still, Look Pretty was finally released in May 2006, followed by a heavy promotional radio campaign by the band. It made the top five on the country music albums chart in the United States, also making the top twenty on the Billboard 200. The album was also a Number One album on the United Kingdom Country Chart. They performed in Indianapolis, Indiana at Monument Circle on April 2 as part of the Final Four celebration. The Wreckers went on tour as Rascal Flatts opening act during the summer of 2006, in addition to playing smaller club dates as headliners. "My, Oh My", was the second single from Stand Still, Look Pretty, and its Wild West-themed video was filmed on the Wild West stage at Universal Studios. They were nominated for "Vocal Duo of the Year" at the 40th Annual CMA Awards, but lost to Brooks & Dunn.

In December 2006 The Wreckers were nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for "Leave the Pieces".[1]

The duo has since stated that their next recording projects will be solo albums. Jessica Harp has stated that they will indeed continue The Wreckers as a side project, but solo albums are what "feels right" for now. [2]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Year Album Chart Positions RIAA
US Country US 200 UK Country
2006 Stand Still, Look Pretty 4 14 1 Gold
2007 Way Back Home: Live at New York City

[edit] Singles

Year Single Chart Positions Album
US Country US Hot 100 US Pop 100 CAN
2005 "The Good Kind" 115 One Tree Hill (soundtrack)
"I'm Feeling You" (w/ Santana and Michelle Branch) 55 56 34 All That I Am (Santana album)
2006 "Leave the Pieces" 1 34 54 20 Stand Still, Look Pretty
"My, Oh My" 9 87
2007 "Tennessee" 33

[edit] References

[edit] External links