Wreckers delight in sharing stage

When Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp decided to collaborate and form a duo, they knew they were taking a chance.

"Jessica was about to sign a record contract in Nashville when I called her," Branch said by phone from Los Angeles. "She had been working on getting a record deal up for quite awhile. And we have talked about doing some songs together.

"But as the day of her signing came closer, I felt a bit nervous. I know how the music business is, and there would be a good chance of us not being able to do any songs together once she signed the contract. So I called her and told her not to do it."

Harp said she was willing to put her contract on hold for her best friend Branch. "We had been performing with each other for about five years," Harp said by phone a few hours after the Branch interview. "I sang back-ups for her band. She called me up as I was driving to Nashville and told me to stop what I was doing, and that's how the Wreckers was formed."

The Wreckers is part of the "One Tree Hill" concert tour. The concert is a tie-in to the "One Tree Hill" TV series that airs on WB (locally, Ch. 30). So, it's not surprising that star Tyler Hilton, who plays musician Chris Keller on the series, is also a part of the tour.

Hilton just released his debut album "The Tracks of Tyler Hilton" earlier this year. And he sings live on the tour.

"It's great sharing the stage with Tyler," said Harp. "And it's great seeing the audience's reactions. They're the ones who watch the show, and they're the ones who are coming to the concert because of the show."

"We hope the concerts will help others who just know about my music to start watching the series," said Branch.

Harp and Branch agree that the choice to form a duet was a good one. "It was spur of the moment," said Harp. "And it did take a lot of faith on my part. I mean Michelle has a Grammy, and I was just about to start recording my first album. And the fact that she's a pop/rock artist and I'm more of a country artist makes it a little more interesting. But I don't regret it. I love working with Michelle and writing songs with her."

"We get to do our own craft," said Branch. "And since there are two of us, we have each other's backs. I mean going out in the music business just as a solo artist is hard, but when you have someone else in your corner, it evens out the odds a bit."