Editing Michelle Branch (section)

===1983–2000: ''Broken Bracelet''===
To support Branch's interests, her parents helped her book local gigs in Sedona, and later financed her independent album ''Broken Bracelet''.<ref name="usatoday" /> Her set list at these gigs included covers of songs by [[Sheryl Crow]], [[Lisa Loeb]], [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]], and [[Fleetwood Mac]].<ref name="Inked Mag" />

In December 1999, she posted two of her songs on the ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' website, which caught the attention of both [[pop rock]] band [[Hanson (band)|Hanson]] and former ''Rolling Stone'' writer and [[Los Angeles]] record producer [[Jeff Rabhan]], eventually leading to two gigs opening for Hanson in 2000.<ref name="sedona" />

In June 2000, Branch self-produced ''Broken Bracelet'',<ref name="sedona" /> a compilation of songs she wrote starting from when she was 14;<ref name="asianconnect" /> the album was released on the [[independent record label]] Twin Dragon Records.<ref name="sedona" /><ref name="asianconnect" /> Its title was inspired from a bracelet made by [[pop music|pop]] singer [[Jewel (singer)|Jewel]], given to Branch by musician [[Steve Poltz]] at a [[Lisa Loeb]] concert she attended. Poltz told Branch that "when it breaks, you'll be famous."<ref name="sedona" /> The ''Broken Bracelet'' recordings were destroyed in the [[May 2010 Tennessee floods|Nashville floods in May 2010]].<ref>[http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/05/nashville.floods.claim.grand.ole.opry.house.ppl/?hpt=Sbin]{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} </ref>