Key Insights

• Comparison was prevalent for Michelle Branch early in her career.
• She often found herself compared to peers like Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton.
• Branch believes the music industry is now more supportive of female artists.
• The recent Olivia Rodrigo‘s Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival showcased an all-female lineup.

Comparison was everywhere when Michelle Branch got her start.

Indeed, the “Game of Love” singer recalled being constantly brought up in conversations about her peers Avril Lavigne and Vanessa Carlton when she rose to fame in the early 2000s—and it wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience for her.

“The difference, I think, between being a female artist when I was out and now, fortunately, is everyone just wanted to pit us against each other back then,” Branch told E! News in an exclusive interview. “I don’t know what it was, but it always felt like Michelle versus Vanessa Carlton versus Avril Lavigne.”

Now, however, the 43-year-old said she feels like young artists can grow their careers in a more progressive environment, citing the inclusive vibe of Olivia Rodrigo‘s Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival, which took place in August and included an all-female lineup.

“I feel like there’s such a camaraderie now between artists and especially female artists, and that’s the way it should be,” Branch noted. “It’s a really beautiful thing.”