The War and Treaty achieve peace through inclusive music, audiences

All of which is a far cry from what they went through before they met after playing solo sets at a Maryland charity event called the Love Fest.

Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

Michael’s backstory goes back to his years serving in the Army during the Iraq War. At one point, he and his fellow soldiers were encamped at, of all places, one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces, and he began playing what was believed to be the dictator’s piano. It was there that his commander Robert Scheetz Jr. encouraged him to keep at it.

When his captain was killed in combat, Michael wrote his first song, “Dear Martha,” in his honor. He went on to play it at USO shows and soldiers’ memorial services. The duo has also performed it at War and Treaty concerts.

“Every time we do it, I feel the winds of the spirits of those I’m singing about, those that have gone on to march in that beautiful army in the sky,” said Michael, who suffered from PTSD well into the couple’s marriage.

Tanya’s musical history, meanwhile, dates back to when she was 8 and her older brother sang the song “Be Grateful” at the church pulpit to an enthusiastic congregation. Soon after that, she realized she wanted to be a singer.

“Now that I’m older, I realize it was an out of body experience,” said Tanya, who had success during the 1990s as the actor-singer Tanya Blount. “It was super spiritual, and it drove me to want to do what I do today, which is to make people feel good when they walk away from a War and Treaty concert, because it’s healing. And that’s what I had felt.”

Now Nashville residents, the War and Treaty are touring behind “Plus One.” The recording of the album was special, both for the quality of the performances and the history of the studio where so many legends had recorded.

As Michael puts it, “We felt the presence and the spiritual guidance of what was, what is and what is to come.”

The album also features “Love Like Whiskey,” cowritten with the country superstar Miranda Lambert.

“We’re very careful, because we write so personal,” said Michael. “We tend to do best when we’re by ourselves. But we wanted something very specific that wasn’t technically in our wheelhouse. And Miranda wanted to do something with us, and we wanted to do something with her.”

While the duo has performed at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium five times and made their country influences more prominent on this latest album, they have received little airplay on country radio. The genre continues to be a challenge for many Black artists.

“The narrative has always been pushed that Blacks are just arriving into country music, when the truth of the matter is it started with Blacks,” said Michael. “Country music is a form of folk music, which is a form of spiritual music, which is a form of slave conversation. Those were hidden communication between slaves, whether they were in the field, or they were on the bottom of a boat being carried to some place without their permission.”

To illustrate the industry’s history of narrow-mindedness, he recalls how they would not allow country artist Barbara Mandrell to record with superstar songwriter-producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

“They were lined up to produce a great country album for Barbara Mandrell. She wanted it. They wanted it. The label did not want it,’ Michael said. “So Charlie Pride is a fortunate one, Darius Rucker is a fortunate one. Rissi Palmer, Mickey Guyton, Jimmie Allen, Linda Martell — these are fortunate ones whose art form was accepted by whites. I think the more we exist, the more the narrative gets cleaned up.”

The Trotters themselves broke ground in 2023 by becoming the first Black duo nominated for Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music Vocal Duo of the Year awards.

As fans discover “Plus One,” the War and Treaty remain dedicated to bringing people together, especially at live performances. “They feel loved, they feel cared for, they feel like somebody singing strictly for them,” Michael said. “They feel the hope around the entire room for 90 minutes. Tanya and I are united to unite others, and that’s the church of the War and Treaty. No judgment. All are welcome.”

CONCERT PREVIEW

The War and Treaty

8 p.m. Friday, May 2. $41.75-$64.50. Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, Atlanta. 404-843-2825, livenation.com