The War and Treaty have been multiple nominees at country music’s two big industry awards, the CMAs and the ACMs. But according to the duo’s Michael Trotter, he and his wife and musical partner Tanya Totter have sometimes been told their music doesn’t “sound country enough,” only to watch in amazement when Morgan Wallen’s country-pop is lauded on the country charts.
“When you say things like we don’t ‘sound country enough’ and then Morgan becomes Number One and his art is, in my opinion, not country enough…,” Michael says. “Hmmm, this is a very interesting thing that’s happening here.”
That feeling of being not enough for the genre they love has led the War and Treaty to make some changes in their career. Their latest album, last month’s The Story of Michael and Tanya, was released on a new label, they’ve formed their own management company, and they’re targeting spaces where they feel welcome.
“You go where people want you to be, you take what you can get from that space, and you bring it back home to the root,” Tanya says. “Americana is roots music. So, everything starts from the roots. … Just do you and create a system that works for you.”
Despite releasing a Nashville-centric album last year, 2025’s Plus One, the War and Treaty were not nominated at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. They talk about being snubbed, their refusal to play the Music Row game, and Michael’s military service and his thoughts on patriotism in this week’s latest episode of Nashville Now. Watch the full interview below.
Download and subscribe to Rolling Stone’s weekly country-music podcast, Nashville Now, hosted by Deputy Editor, Head of Country Joseph Hudak, on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts). New episodes drop every Wednesday and feature interviews with artists and personalities like Vince Gill, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, Hardy, Charley Crockett, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Kings of Leon, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, the Black Crowes, Carly Pearce, Amy Grant, Luke Grimes, Brandon Lake, Breland, Low Cut Connie, Bryan Andrews, Noeline Hofmann, Adam Mac, Devon Gilfillian, Gavin Adcock, Amanda Shires, Shooter Jennings, Margo Price, Michaela Anne, Ink, Ne-Yo, Rival Sons’ Jay Buchanan, Halestorm, Dusty Slay, Lukas Nelson, Ashley Monroe, Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, Clever, Love on the Spectrum‘s Tyler White, Willie Nelson scholar John Spong, and authors Marissa R. Moss, Josh Crutchmer, Mark Gray, and Jonathan Bernstein.
