The Wreckers
| Company type | Musical duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Michelle Branch, Jessica Harp |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Parent | Maverick Records |
The Wreckers were a country music duo from the United States, established in 2005 by Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp, both of whom had previously pursued solo careers. Their inaugural album, Stand Still, Look Pretty released in 2006, included the chart-topping Billboard Hot Country Songs single "Leave the Pieces" as well as the top 10 track "My, Oh My". Subsequently, each artist resumed solo projects, with Harp attaining top 40 country chart recognition for her single "Boy Like Me".
Breakthrough with Stand Still, Look Pretty
In 2005, Michelle Branch teamed up with longtime friend and backing singer Jessica Harp to form the Wreckers, merging Branch’s pop-rock influences with Harp’s country roots. The duo’s name was inspired by "the Cass County Homewreckers," an idea originating from Branch’s then-husband, Teddy Landau. They secured a recording deal with Maverick Records.
Jessica Harp’s composition "The Good Kind" was featured on the television series One Tree Hill, where the duo performed it in February 2005. That same month, they participated in the nationwide One Tree Hill Tour alongside artists such as Gavin DeGraw. Branch later admitted feeling uneasy touring prior to releasing an album. Their debut record, Stand Still, Look Pretty, arrived in May 2006 and was propelled by the number one country hit "Leave the Pieces". Supported by an extensive promotional effort, the album reached the top five on the U.S. country albums chart, climbed to number fourteen on the Billboard 200, and secured the top position on the UK Country Chart.
The Wreckers’ rising popularity led to live performances including a prominent August 2006 concert at Monument Circle in Indianapolis and opening slots for Rascal Flatts during the summer of 2006, supplemented by headlining smaller venues. The follow-up single "My, Oh My" featured a music video filmed at Universal Studios Hollywood.
They received a nomination for "Vocal Duo of the Year" at the 40th Annual CMA Awards, ultimately losing to Brooks & Dunn. Additionally, in December 2006, they earned a Grammy nod for "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" for their hit "Leave the Pieces." The duo also performed a cover of Deana Carter’s "Strawberry Wine" live during that year’s CMA Awards.
Disbandment and solo pursuits
In February 2008, the Wreckers announced their decision to disband in order to focus on individual solo careers. They clarified that future efforts would involve separate solo albums while maintaining the Wreckers as a side project. Jessica Harp launched her solo career with the single "Boy Like Me" from her album A Woman Needs in March 2009; it reached the Top 30 on country charts. The album’s title track followed as a single and peaked at No. 56. On March 16, 2010, Harp released her album digitally and declared her retirement from recording to concentrate on songwriting. Meanwhile, Michelle Branch issued the single "Sooner or Later" in August 2009 and released her six-track EP Everything Comes and Goes on September 14, 2010.
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
Certifications (sales threshold) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country |
US |
Sales | |||
| Stand Still, Look Pretty |
|
4 | 14 | US: 856,000 |
|
Live albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Way Back Home: Live at New York City |
|
As lead artist
| Year | Single title | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Sales figures | Associated album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Country |
US Pop |
US Adult |
AUS |
CAN Country | |||||
| 2005 | "The Good Kind" | 115 | — | — | — | — | — | Stand Still, Look Pretty | ||
| 2006 | "Leave the Pieces" | 34 | 1 | 54 | 19 | 73 | 1 |
|
| |
| "My, Oh My" | 87 | 9 | — | — | — | 6 | ||||
| 2007 | "Tennessee" | — | 33 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" indicates singles that did not enter the charts | ||||||||||
As featured artist
| Year | Single name | Collaborating artist | Highest chart positions achieved | Album title | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Pop |
US AC |
US Adult |
CAN AC |
CAN HAC | ||||
| 2005 | "I'm Feeling You" (credited to Santana with Michelle Branch and the Wreckers) | Carlos Santana | 55 | 53 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | All That I Am |
- Notes
Music videos
| Year | Video title | Director name |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "I'm Feeling You" (featuring Santana) | |
| 2006 | "Leave the Pieces" | Trey Fanjoy |
| "My, Oh My" | Paul Boyd | |
| 2007 | "Tennessee" |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Awarding body | Award category | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Country Music Association Awards | "Vocal Duo of the Year" | "Nominated" |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | "Top New Vocal Duo or Group" | "Nominated" | |
| Academy of Country Music Awards | "Top Vocal Duo" | "Nominated" | |
| 2007 | Grammy Awards | "Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal" – ("Leave the Pieces") | "Nominated" |
| Music Row Awards | "Major Label Breakout Artist of the Year" | "Won" | |
| "R&R (magazine) Readers' Poll" | "Best New Performer" | "Won" | |
| "Country Music Association Awards" | "Vocal Duo of the Year" | "Nominated" | |
| "Academy of Country Music Awards" | "Top New Vocal Duo or Group" | "Nominated" | |
| 2008 | "Country Music Association Awards" | "Vocal Duo of the Year" | "Nominated" |