Photo by Austin Hargrave via The War and Treaty - thewarandtreaty.com
The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty
The War and Treaty, the husband and wife duo of Michael and Tanya Trotter, are riding a wave of popularity behind their album Lover’s Game, an all-in spectacle of soul, rock and roll and country R&B that shakes and simmers in just the right spots. For those that have followed the Trotters’ emotional story since 2018’s Healing Tide and its follow-up, 2020’s Hearts Town, the gumbo of influences on Lover’s Game should come as no great shock, but there’s plenty to relish for new and seasoned admirers alike.
“Our intention in creating this whole album was to show what people feel when they see us live and that it can be translated on record,” said Michael Trotter in a recent phone interview.
Opening with a blast of pure rock, a filthy guitar lick that gives way to FAME Studio-era Duane Allman slide guitar wrapped around the tandem line, “Margarita, hot chicken, strawberry wine, I’m lookin’ for your lovin’ to be mine all mine,” the title track heralds the outfit’s rowdy designs.
“‘Lover's Game’ is how we would naturally open the show -- really pumping and really setting the tone for a good time,” Michael said. “Blank Page,” which was nominated for a Best American Roots Song Grammy, softly rolls in on a Spooner Oldham-esque piano that leaves ample room for the Trotters to stretch out vocally, delivering a beautiful love story in the midst of being written that defies any skip-to-the-happy-ending defiance of real life.
Lover’s Game marks The War and Treaty’s major label debut with Universal Music Group, an exciting development for the couple who have long recorded independently with the help of their friends in Nashville. The Trotters teamed up on “Lover’s Game” with GRAMMY-winning, golden-eared producer Dave Cobb.
On stage and in the studio, The War and Treaty, which were also nominated for the 2024 Grammy for Best New Artist, remain conscious of the heroes and albums that inspired them separately and together. Every song is an opportunity for tribute as well as fresh expression.
