(December 30, 2022) To say that Michael Trotter, Jr., and Tanya (Blount) Trotter know a thing or two about love is an understatement. The husband-and-wife duo who perform as The War and Treaty are known for their catalog of honest songs about life and love with a sound that’s been compared to “classic Ike and Tina Turner rock-infused soul.”
Michael is an Iraq war veteran who was encouraged to learn the piano while deployed and to use his gift as singer to write songs for fallen soldiers, and Tanya had a solo recording career after appearing in the 1993 film, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (she portrayed the character ‘Tanya’ and sang “His Eye is on the Sparrow” alongside Lauryn Hill). Michael and Tanya formed as a duo in 2014.
(December 30, 2022) To say that Michael Trotter, Jr., and Tanya (Blount) Trotter know a thing or two about love is an understatement. The husband-and-wife duo who perform as The War and Treaty are known for their catalog of honest songs about life and love with a sound that’s been compared to “classic Ike and Tina Turner rock-infused soul.”
Michael is an Iraq war veteran who was encouraged to learn the piano while deployed and to use his gift as singer to write songs for fallen soldiers, and Tanya had a solo recording career after appearing in the 1993 film, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (she portrayed the character ‘Tanya’ and sang “His Eye is on the Sparrow” alongside Lauryn Hill). Michael and Tanya formed as a duo in 2014.
Our latest First Listen is a tender ballad from their 2022 EP Blank Page entitled “That’s How Love is Made.” In the song, the married pair sing to one another about accepting the bitter along with the sweet in their relationship. The War and Treaty debuted “That’s How Love is Made” on the Grand Ole Opry stage in August of 2022, a year in which they’ve had many big moments, i.e., winning Duo/Group of the Year at the Americana Honors & Awards in September; performing at the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in November for the second time in their career; and surprise-releasing Blank Page on the same day as their CMA performance.
Check out the sweet video for “That’s How Love is Made” below, which reflects the love that Michael and Tanya share, and look out for The War and Treaty on The Lovers Game Tour in 2023. And we welcome the duo to SoulTracks!
By Darnea N. Samuels
The War and Treaty
"That's How Love Is Made"