Fans may have raised their eyebrows when Michelle Branch crossed over from pop to country music back in 2003, but she insists it was no fluke. In fact, she says in a video interview with Billboard.com, it was the key to finding her comfort zone as an artist.


Video Above: Michelle Branch discusses "Everything Comes and Goes."

"It let people see that I was more than just like this little, teen pop girl," the singer says.

Six years later, Branch is no longer recording as one-half of the country duo the Wreckers, but she's still sticking with her new genre. Branch's new solo album, "Everything Comes and Goes," is due this winter and finds her exploring a more "singer-songwriter, rootsy" side.

"I love those first songs that everyone became familiar with, but I was 14 and 15 years old when I wrote them," Branch says. "I've grown a lot -- and I think being in Nashville especially has made me really push myself a lot further as far as lyrics go."

The first single off "Everything Comes and Goes" is "Sooner or Later," a song that bridges the gap between Branch's old and newer sound and, she hopes, keeps her original fans excited for more. "I think it's good because my fans of my early stuff will not think it's necessarily too country," Branch explains. "It's a good starter."


Video Above: Michelle Branch performs "Sooner or Later."

That said, don't count on hearing Branch make another song like "Everywhere" or "Are You Happy Now?" anytime soon. "I don't think I could ever be doing the super dance-y, hook-y pop records [again]," Branch says. "It's just not me."