TheWar And Treatyaren’t entirely sure who fell in love with who first.“We met at a festival in Maryland that I used to do for kids where we would give away backpacks around back to school time,” says Tanya Trotter of her now-husband and duo partner Michael Trotter Jr. during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “He was performing there, and he blew me away.““Actually, I noticed [Tanya] alongtime before that,” interjects Michael, his loud laugh booming through the telephone. “When I first saw her, I said to my parents that she was going to be my wife. I saw her on the big screen back in the ’90s (inSister Act 2: Back in the Habit) and I was like, ‘That is my wife right there.'“His premonition was right, as the current trailblazing duo did marry after years of playing the back-and-forth game of love, which they touch on in their euphoric single “Lover’s Game.““We did playall thosegames,” remembers Tanya with a slight chuckle of the song she co-wrote alongside Michael and Dave Cobb and one of six songs featured on their groundbreaking new EPBlank Page. “Michael actually threw my phone number away. I really had to call around trying to figure out his phone number.““As a man, we always jump the gun whenever a woman wants our number,” adds Michael. “We think it’s for one reason and one reason only. And I was just like, ‘There’s no way she could want somebody like me.'“Indeed, Michael did have much on his plate at the time. Not only was he a homeless veteran not looking for a relationship, but he also was dealing with a post-traumatic stress disorder that had developed while serving in Iraq as a soldier in the U.S. Army’s 6th Infantry Regiment.The War and Treaty.It’s a condition he still battles to this day.“There are days when Tanya and I just look each other in the eyes and say, ‘Are you OK today?” Michael explains. “Is today the day that I need to be a little bit more extra with you? Do I need to hold your hand, Mike? Do I need to run some cold water on your fingers? These are things that normal bands don’t have to think about, but these are things that this band thinks about.“It’s a truth that just adds to the beautiful tapestry that is The War and Treaty, a duo who straddles effortlessly between the country and Americana genre and a duo that made history Nov. 9 as they perform The Rolling Stones classic “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” alongsideBrothers Osborneat the 56th Annual CMA Awards.Tanya and Michael Trotter of The War and Treaty.Austin Hargrave"Me and Tanya being the first black husband and wife duo to touch the stage of the CMAs — it’s really something to where we’re like, ‘Wow, if we’re going to work hard, this is the reason why we’re going to do it.“But there are so many other reasons too.“There’s an opportunity here to carve our names amongst the giants like Ashford & Simpson,Johnny Cashand June Carter,SonnyandCher— the great duos that we’ve had in history,” says Michael. “People want tofeelagain. That’s why we’re here. That’s whyChris Stapletonis here. That’s whyBrandi Carlileis here. We possess the power of the ancestry. We can make you feel like Nina Simone, we can make you feel like Ray Charles, we can make you feel likeLoretta Lynn. And I think that is very important to have something in your life that reminds you of all those times.“The couple’s EP,Blank Page, is available now. Their Lover’s Game tour will kick off in March, with tickets going on sale Friday.
TheWar And Treatyaren’t entirely sure who fell in love with who first.
“We met at a festival in Maryland that I used to do for kids where we would give away backpacks around back to school time,” says Tanya Trotter of her now-husband and duo partner Michael Trotter Jr. during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “He was performing there, and he blew me away.”
“Actually, I noticed [Tanya] alongtime before that,” interjects Michael, his loud laugh booming through the telephone. “When I first saw her, I said to my parents that she was going to be my wife. I saw her on the big screen back in the ’90s (inSister Act 2: Back in the Habit) and I was like, ‘That is my wife right there.'”
His premonition was right, as the current trailblazing duo did marry after years of playing the back-and-forth game of love, which they touch on in their euphoric single “Lover’s Game.”
“We did playall thosegames,” remembers Tanya with a slight chuckle of the song she co-wrote alongside Michael and Dave Cobb and one of six songs featured on their groundbreaking new EPBlank Page. “Michael actually threw my phone number away. I really had to call around trying to figure out his phone number.”
“As a man, we always jump the gun whenever a woman wants our number,” adds Michael. “We think it’s for one reason and one reason only. And I was just like, ‘There’s no way she could want somebody like me.'”
Indeed, Michael did have much on his plate at the time. Not only was he a homeless veteran not looking for a relationship, but he also was dealing with a post-traumatic stress disorder that had developed while serving in Iraq as a soldier in the U.S. Army’s 6th Infantry Regiment.
The War and Treaty.
It’s a condition he still battles to this day.
“There are days when Tanya and I just look each other in the eyes and say, ‘Are you OK today?” Michael explains. “Is today the day that I need to be a little bit more extra with you? Do I need to hold your hand, Mike? Do I need to run some cold water on your fingers? These are things that normal bands don’t have to think about, but these are things that this band thinks about.”
It’s a truth that just adds to the beautiful tapestry that is The War and Treaty, a duo who straddles effortlessly between the country and Americana genre and a duo that made history Nov. 9 as they perform The Rolling Stones classic “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)” alongsideBrothers Osborneat the 56th Annual CMA Awards.
Tanya and Michael Trotter of The War and Treaty.Austin Hargrave
“Me and Tanya being the first black husband and wife duo to touch the stage of the CMAs — it’s really something to where we’re like, ‘Wow, if we’re going to work hard, this is the reason why we’re going to do it.”
But there are so many other reasons too.
“There’s an opportunity here to carve our names amongst the giants like Ashford & Simpson,Johnny Cashand June Carter,SonnyandCher— the great duos that we’ve had in history,” says Michael. “People want tofeelagain. That’s why we’re here. That’s whyChris Stapletonis here. That’s whyBrandi Carlileis here. We possess the power of the ancestry. We can make you feel like Nina Simone, we can make you feel like Ray Charles, we can make you feel likeLoretta Lynn. And I think that is very important to have something in your life that reminds you of all those times.”
The couple’s EP,Blank Page, is available now. Their Lover’s Game tour will kick off in March, with tickets going on sale Friday.
source: people.com
