The War And Treaty: “Real Emotion Courtesy Of Two Love Birds and a Cello”

If there’s one fact that’s consistent over the entire course of pop music history, it’s the realization that the most incisive songs have always been borne from the most harrowing of circumstance. Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind” paid homage to the transition in consciousness that ushered in the1960s. Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” echoed the growing tension between the new order and the old. The Beatles sang about “Revolution” and the cyclical repercussions borne by the escalating violence. The Who’s “My Generation” reflected a shift in the youthful rebellion.

The trio that call themselves The War and Treaty know those lessons all too well. The name itself represents the pull between trauma and tranquillity, music inspired by darkness and despair that ultimately finds a higher spiritual purpose. It’s a sound manifest on the group’s upcoming studio debut, Dear Martha, scheduled for release on October 21, 2016.

For Michael Trotter Jr., the journey began in 2004, when he arrived in Iraq in 2004, an untested soldier stricken by fear and self-doubt. His captain made it his personal mission to see to Trotter’s survival. The unit was encamped in one of Saddam Hussein’s private palaces, and in a forgotten corner in its basement, they found a black upright piano that once belonged to the dictator himself. When Trotter shared the fact he could sing, he was encouraged to teach himself to play piano on that confiscated keyboard.

“I wrote my first song after that captain was killed,” Trotter recalls. “I sang it for his memorial in Iraq.” Soon after it became his mission to sing at the memorial services for those that had fallen. For the next three years, he sang songs that brought solace and comfort to the members of his unit. His efforts eventually garnered wider recognition as well. He came in first place in “Military Idol,” the army’s version of “American Idol,” during a competition held in Baumholder, Germany. Following his discharge, he was featured on the Hope Channel program “My Story, My Song.”

Still, his crowning achievement came when he met Tanya Blount. Blount was already a seasoned performer whose career first hit its stride when she signed a recording contract with Polydor Records at the tender age of 19. Her ample resume included a role in the film “Sister Act 2” and a striking duet with Lauryn Hill on the song “His Eye Is On the Sparrow.” A solo single, “Through the Rain,” raced to the top 30 on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. The two fell in love, got married and used the experiences they had gained to create a new musical collaboration.

The couple then secured the services of Thillman Benham, a gifted musician whose skills as a cellist add a distinctive sound to The War and Treaty’s blend of roots music, folk, gospel and R&B. Recorded at Oceanway Studios is Nashville, Dear Martha boasts a sound that’s both stirring and sensual, driven by joy, determination and an unceasing upward gaze. The music is visceral but never morose, flush with emotion but void of despair… a style that touches on a variety of genres, but never finds itself confined to any one. The arrangements are uncluttered — harmonies, cello and keyboards create an immensely moving soundscape — but the sentiments and emotions are fully realized and soar with a steady, quiet assurance.

“The recording process wasn’t like anything I ever experienced,” Tanya recalls. “This record has allowed me to breathe musically. I feel like all I have wanted to express for the past ten years has come forth with what we’ve done. The combination of heart, soul and the overwhelming amount of love that Michael and I have for one another comes across in this record. ”
“I was sitting on the banks of the Euphrates River in Baghdad dreaming about one day being able to play and sing professionally for people all around the world,” Michael reflects. “As I walked through the halls of Oceanway, I constantly had flashbacks of those desert dreams. I thought to myself that this is actually the perfect ending to usher in a new beginning in my life.”

Still, for all their optimism and initial intent, The War and Treaty, knows that as their name suggests, perseverance is key to success. They continue to tour, their five year old son in tow, hoping to share songs of reconciliation and humanity.
“Most of these songs were written using the sound of bombs and IED explosions as the metronome,” Michael insists. “But that’s what makes them so honest. There’s real emotion here from a couple of love birds and a cello.”

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