CMT dubbed the girls’ debut, Stand Still, Look Pretty, one of the top country albums of the year, and their first single, “Leave the Pieces,” hit No. 1 after a long, steady climb up the charts.

A CMA nomination helped officially welcome the duo to Music City, but the nod strayed from those typically designated for newcomers. Instead of a Horizon Award nomination, Michelle and Jessica jumped into the company of established country superstars with a Duo of the Year nod. New as they are to the country market, no one treats them as such; their music simply won’t allow it.

Michelle Branch first gained major attention as a teenage pop star, boasting the Grammy Award-winning duet with legend Carlos Santana, “Game of Love,” along with multiple hit singles on her résumé. Instead of lingering in proven success, Branch felt drawn to country music’s emphasis on gritty, honest songwriting.

Jessica Harp’s stint as Michelle’s backup singer came after the two discovered a special kinship through mutual friends, prompting Branch to extend an invitation to Jessica to join her on the road. Harp drew industry attention of her own, including a major label proposition for the solo career she thought she’d always wanted. Nothing felt quite right, and Jessica waited. Finally, a major Nashville label offered her a deal, she accepted and the Kansas City native packed and headed east.

Harp put in a phone call to her best friend, and The Wreckers were born. Michelle and Jessica’s ruminations over forging a band together fell perfectly into place — the patience and roll of the die resulted in one of 2006’s most galvanic country music forays, ushering in a seasoned, yet refreshingly new pair brimming with promise.

Pictured at the party are (l to r): co-producer and Warner Bros.' Chief Creative Officer Paul Worley, co-producer John Shanks, The Wreckers' Jessica Harp and Michelle Branch, BMI co-writer Jennifer Hanson, Sony/ATV Music Publishing President Troy Tomlinson, Warner Bros.' Executive VP Bill Bennett, and BMI's David Preston and Jody Williams. Photo by Eric England

The fact that Branch is a multi-million selling, Grammy-winning artist isn't the only reason the two have generated a buzz well before the release of their debut album on Maverick Records. The Wreckers appeared on the WB network series "One Tree Hill" singing "The Good Kind," which wound up on the show's soundtrack album. That was followed by a "One Tree Hill" tour on which the duo appeared with Gavin DeGraw, Tyler Hilton and series star Bethany Joy Lenz.

The act got its name from Branch's bass player and husband Teddy Landau, who jokingly dubbed the two "The Homewreckers" because Branch and Harp would attract the attention of male fans with girlfriends at all of their concerts.

The music they make combines Branch's love of folk and rock with Harp's country influenced style, which has also won Harp her own deal with Maverick. The Wreckers have also recorded a song with Carlos Santana entitled "Feeling For You" for the guitar legend's next album.

The union between the two talents is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, says Harp. "We both know that we would never have been able to make this record on our own."

Pictured (seated) are Jessica Harp and Michelle Branch, (standing) BMI's Phil Graham, Stuart Dill and BMI's David Preston.

The Wreckers perform some new tunes.