The War and Treaty have been the subject of many people’s highlights at last weekend’s The Long Road Festival in the UK. A duo that have been cited “an incredible act that will go down in The Long Road history”, Michael and Tanya’s set on The Interstate Stage was certainly one we won’t forget for years to come.

The War and Treaty are one of the most exciting artists in country music right now! Bringing a fresh style to the genre by blending gospel, soul, blues and rock to country, it won’t be long before the duo are one of the most sought after artists in country music.

The War and Treaty have recently released their album Lover’s Game which is astounding from start to finish!

After a stellar performance at The Long Road Festival, we caught up with Michael and Tanya to discuss their set, their music and more! Michael and Tanya were wonderful to speak with. Funny, kind and so sweet to each other, they bring so much warmth and energy to those in their company and their zest for life is wonderfully infectious!

Enjoy!

How are you both?

Tanya: We are doing great, just happy to be here!

How was the (Long Road) set for you? I was there and it was amazing!!

Michael: That was overwhelming because each time you are able to make a connection, especially in our day and age where everything is so computerised and electronic, to be able to make that human connection and that human connection to cheers and applause, you know you’re doing something right! It felt so good!

Good, I’m glad! You will have a great time at The Omeara too!

Both:We can’t wait!

I have read that you changed your name about five times, can we know what any of those were?

Tanya: Oh you’re being kind, five times? We changed it nine times haha! You know, Michael is the name changer, he kept going and going and I was like “no, we’re not changing the name again”. There aren’t many names of bands that I think are super cool. There’s one name that is super cool and that’s Nirvana. I love that name! That’s a cool name!

Michael: There were names that we had that almost made it! Trotter and Blount, those are our last names.

Tanya: Yeah, that sounds like a Law Firm haha!

Haha, it does actually!

Michael: We had our first names, Mike and Tanya! Then we had 9 years apart, Dear Martha, Not Your Sister. The War and Treaty spoke to who we are in the natural tug and pull in life!

It’s a pretty amazing name!

Tanya: Thank you!

I guess naming a band is almost as hard as naming a kid!

Michael: Yes!

Tanya: Yes haha, you have to live with it for the rest of your life!

You collaborated with Zach Bryan on the song Hey Driver – tell us a bit about that song and how that came to be because I know you’re very excited about it!

Tanya: We are super excited about it! We met Zach backstage after we performed at the ACM Awards! He was so excited, he is a ball of energy, a ball of creativity.

Michael: It wasn’t backstage dear…

Tanya: Oh it was outside….

Michael: We were both leaving at the same time (The War and Treaty and Zach)

Tanya: Getting in our vehicles

Michael: Fate did that!

Tanya: He (Zach) was like “Let’s exchange numbers, we’ve got to do something together” and he kept his word! You hear that a lot from a lot of different artists but he kept his word and flew us to Philadelphia a couple of months later and we recorded the song with him in the studio. We initially did a voice memo that we sent to him to hear. He wanted to hear how it would sound and he flew us to Philadelphia, we recorded the song and it’s as raw as it gets with him. It’s wonderful and we are so excited about it!

It must happen a lot as you just said, suggestions of collaborations and then things like scheduling gets in the way so it’s nice this happened!

I was watching the Rolling Stones Covers Documentary – Stoned Cold Country where you collaborated with Brothers Osborne for the song It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)

Michael: Brothers (Osborne) are the most humble individuals we will ever meet! There was a project coming up honouring The Rolling Stones, “of course we’re in”. You didn’t even need to say The Rolling Stones. You just needed to say “there’s a project on Rolling…” and we’d be like “WE’RE IN!!!!!”. Then we found out the song (It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) and it meant so much because we have such a connection to Miss Tina Turner – and to see Tina Turner often get on stage and sing that with The Rolling Stones, her and Mick Jagger going back and forth, so much fun! It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) and we did that with the Brothers (Osborne) and it’s been one ever since!

You cite your success and meeting each other as Dumb Luck (like the song) but we just spoke of fate earlier and I really believe in fate and truly believe that you were meant for this moment, to meet and become The War and Treaty.

Michael: Oh it isn’t dumb luck at all. To be able to be in life and in love with Tanya is, people will say “well it’s a dream come true” . I’m not smart enough to dream that! She changed my life, she saved my life, she is my life! I love my life now because of her and that’s my baby! We literally love being around each other, being on stage…I am speaking for her and I want to shut up now haha

Tanya: Yeah he’s speaking for me, because I’m smitten by him, I was from the first time I saw him on stage. Just how honest he is, how authentic he is, just an all round beautiful human being! I am just glad he’s mine haha! It’s a wonderful thing!

Michael: All Yours!!

Tanya: Yeah haha!

I am the same with my husband but I am like “you’re my best friend but you annoy me half the time…”

Tanya: But I also don’t want you to go away, that’s right haha!

Michael: I heard those words just this morning haha! (Jokes)

Tanya: Nah not this morning haha. It was a good morning! Haha!

So tell us about the album Lover’s Game ..how would you describe it?

Tanya: When we created Lover’s Game, we were just trying to do a record that leaned authentically to who we are! Of course there’s a lot of Blues and Gospel and overtones in the record, well country, gospel and overtones in the record and we wanted to make sure we stayed true to the foundation of where we come from which is gospel music. So I think that Lover’s Game is a great peak into the window of us dipping our feet into the water of what we really want to be able to do in country music with our gospel sound.

Michael: It’s art! That’s all it is!

Dave Cobb produced it – what made you decide to work with him on this record?

Michael: He’s an artist, he’s a beautiful artist. Dave has a vision in his head and it’s his job to make that come true. When we were done, all we did is look at Dave and say “are you good?” and he said “I’m good”. The honour of working with Dave Cobb, the access to work with Dave Cobb is not something you should take for granted. Tanya and I are just so humbled that he touched our music.

Did any of the songs sound completely different from the writers room to full production?

Michael: Completely

Tanya: Oh yes haha!

Michael: Completely different!

What I have noticed about your live setting is how you extend the songs to showcase more instrumental or vocals and it’s so beautiful! I love it when artists shake it up a bit and don’t play to the exact studio version.

Tanya: Thank you so much, thank you!

What song of yours is a favourite?

Tanya: Hmmm?

Michael: I believe for me right now, there’s a song in our set that we did just now, it’s the very last song and it hasn’t been recorded yet! It’s called ‘Trying To Make It!’ I think it speaks to our journey and our humility of what we are trying to do. We are all just trying to make it to somewhere and what comes with that is a lot of ups and a lot of downs, highways and byways, a lot of rivers and mountains, mountain highs and valleys lows, we are all literally just trying to make it on our own. It’s either make it or go home and that’s what we are doing.

Thank you so much for chatting. We hope you will be visiting us on a regular basis from now on?

Thank you, so do we!