The War And Treaty

Country music, at its core, has always been a menagerie of other genres mixed and swirled together, with a dollop of compelling storytelling plopped right on top.

While some try to confine and contain the genre to a certain list of criteria, there is a wide swathe of artists that seemingly exist to push the boundaries and take country music into places its never been before.

Among that group of trailblazing creatives is The War And Treaty, composed of husband and wife duo of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter (née Blount).

The powerhouse vocal pairing first appeared in mainstream country music in April of 2021, when they joined Dierks Bentley for a performance of U2's 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' at the 56th ACM Awards, which helped them secure a recording deal with UMG Nashville in May of 2022.

Later that year, they would once again enter country music fans' living rooms as they performed a cover of 'It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)' alongside Brothers Osborne at the 56th Annual CMA Awards in November, making history as the first Black husband-and-wife duo to grace the CMA stage.

However, their story goes back further than those fateful performances.

The War and Treaty, originally know as Trotter & Blount, formed in Michigan in 2014. The pair met years earlier at a musical festival as Michael, an army veteran who had used music as a source of solace, was performing. They quickly joining forces to work on songs together, and thus, magic ensued.

With an impassioned delivery and fiery conviction, the duo draws on folk, country, R&B, gospel, rock 'n' roll and everything in between, often combining them all into a scrumptious cocktail dripping in talent.

That talent shown brightly on their early independent label releases, including Down to the River, Healing Tide and Hearts Town. The latter two landed spots on both the Billboard Heatseekers and Independent Albums charts, and earned them the Emerging Act of the Year Award from the Americana Music Association.

After signing with UMG Nashville and later winning the Americana Music Association's 2022 Duo/Group of the Year Award, The War and Treaty's talent was elevated even further as they surprise released their debut EP for the label, Blank Page, on the night of their history-making CMA performance.

Expanding it into their 2023 full-length debut, Lover's Game, the duo effortlessly straddle the thin line between Americana and country as they explore just under a dozen genre-blending songs about love, its intentions and their many lessons learned throughout their relationship.

Looking to etch their names among the iconic musical partnerships – think Ashford & Simpson, Johnny Cash and June Carter & Sonny and Cher – The War and Treaty also aim to help people feel again, which is a mission that they fulfill without fail.

If The War and Treaty have any say, there's a revival coming to country music and beyond. Strap in.