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[0:09] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. All right. So one of my favorite things in the entire world, everybody, is that when I do an interview, I love all artists. I love everybody. But then there are certain artists that you like really love that like you're bopping to in your car, or you're on the treadmill in your house, or you're walking through the fire in your car. You're living your best life. Come on. I love these people so much. And you know, when you have two people who can sing and love each other, and they look in each other's eyes and they just sing, I melt. I'm in love with The War & Treaty, and they're coming to Detroit. They're coming around the block from my house. Can I take them out for a hot dog or a hamburger? I'm obsessed. So listen, they're both gonna be here. We're gonna kick things off with the lady of The War & Treaty. Tanya, I love you, and I'm so excited you're here. Welcome to my show.

[1:00] Tanya Trotter: Hi, Robert. How are you?

[1:02] Robert Bannon: I have to say you have vocals for days. You better sing. You had the best introduction for days. Thank you for that. When I tell you I've been listening to your new album, nonstop, upside down, forward, backwards, I have been obsessed with "Plus One."

[1:18] Tanya Trotter: Oh, that's too sweet. Thank you so much for that.

[1:20] Robert Bannon: What has it been like for you to create music? You have other albums, the albums have been out. You've been out in the streets singing for a moment. What's it been like to release this album in particular?

[1:32] Tanya Trotter: This album has been extremely special. It's an invitation for people to just join us on the healing journey that we have. Join us on this movement that we have with our Heartstown community. And it's to let people know they're not alone, because I think, you know, in this time that we're living in, people just need to want to know they're not alone and that, you know, they're accepted and that they're loved. And that's what we've always been about, you know. And so we're just amplifying our message a little bit more with this record and infusing the music a little bit more as well.

[2:06] Robert Bannon: You all can sing. So did you meet each other through music? Did you meet each other before music? How does your relationship and music kind of live together?

[2:15] Tanya Trotter: Interestingly enough, we met at a love festival, as cheesy as it sounds. We met in Laurel, Maryland. It was an event that I was doing, giving back school supplies to kids, and Michael was one of the artists that was performing for this particular festival, and I was completely smitten by him, just blown away. And so we exchanged numbers and fell in love, and six months later we were dating. Well, not even six months later, weeks later we were dating, and six months later we were married, and we didn't actually get married to sing. You know, most people they're like, "Oh, did you meet singing?" Well, we didn't. We didn't actually start singing together until we were three years into our marriage.

[2:57] Robert Bannon: Woof. And so three years into your marriage, you sort of... But what I love about your voices together, besides the passion and the love that you could see with each other, is that you both are such great harmony singers with each other. You find the pocket, you find the crunchy goodness that falls in, and you just blend so perfectly together. Is it hard to separate business and pleasure? Is it like we're in a car, we better run our harmony, or do you separate time for this is time for us to not be The War & Treaty and just be us? How do you live a personal life and a public life together?

[3:28] Tanya Trotter: You know, I think the easiest thing for us is not to try to separate it because then it feels, it can feel to the fans forced. So, really everything you see is what you get. I mean, even on stage, how we play with each other, our banter, you know, when we first started touring with our bandmates, they were like, "Are they fighting or is this real?"

[3:48] Robert Bannon: That's funny.

[3:49] Tanya Trotter: So we just have like, we've learned that we don't fight, we just have heavy disagreements and we learn how to fight, you know. So there's no separation in what we do. We're extremely honest with each other. And speaking of the harmonies, like you were saying, the funny thing is when we first started singing together, we would rehearse for like six hours a day. It was insane. And I would be on one side of the house, and Michael would be on the other side of the house, and we would just try to hear each other's timbre in each other's voice and follow it. So it was like, you know, listening to the birds through your window and trying to sing along with that bird. You can't see the bird, but you can feel it and you can hear it. And I think that made our harmony and our connection and our intimacy a lot stronger.

[4:38] Robert Bannon: And you could read through it and you could see it while we're talking, everybody. Go to thewarandtreaty.com so you can see everything. You can follow them on Instagram at The War & Treaty. And also, if you're around the corner from me March 29th at St. Andrew's Hall, and we're gonna be in Detroit. Tickets are now on sale. So you're around the corner. I can't wait. And the tour dates are on sale, and you're gonna be everywhere. Like we have a... they're everywhere. You can, everyone like below us, click the link. You're gonna be in Michigan, you're gonna be back in New York, you're gonna be... you're all over the place this year.

[5:08] Tanya Trotter: Yeah, it's gonna be fun. It's a 40 city tour. We're excited to bring the revival. I think that, you know, we all could use a revival, a reviving of our hearts, a reviving of our trust, a reviving of love. So we're gonna have a great time. And I absolutely, we absolutely love Detroit. We started, you know, we really, the birth of The War & Treaty actually happened in Maryland, but when we got our spark and our push, it was from doing a show in Detroit with Andalisi, you know, and it was amazing. So we're very excited about that. March 29th. I'll be ready. I'll be there.

[5:44] Robert Bannon: Ah, come by your name. I'm ready. Let's go. So get your tickets because they're gonna be gone. So hurry up and grab them. What is a show like? What is a live War & Treaty show like? Because I saw on your Instagram, I see you were saying, should we do spiritual and gospel numbers? Should we do our blues? Like what kind of, what do you call, what is it like? What's the experience in the room?

[6:06] Tanya Trotter: It's interesting because you really feel this surge from the crowd first. I mean, we come out, but it's like this connection that happens from the first note, and it's like this lightning bolt happens between us and the fans, and it's high energy. It's a lot of fun. It's a revival, it's like a church service, rock concert, folk moment in the show, you know, Americana moment. It's just an infusion of everything that you love about music and that we love about music. You know, we want everybody to be able to feel, and I think that's the most important thing at our show is to have our fans allow themselves to be vulnerable and to feel and to cry. We cry on stage, we come out with, you know, wig.

I have my wig on, it's probably gonna, you know, gonna be sweaty and a mess by that time, or you know, whatever the case may be. I let it all out, and I'm vulnerable and we're honest. And I think that's what we want our fans to be able to experience at a show. Just bring the real you, you know, whatever that is.

[7:13] Robert Bannon: Well, we're coming. Detroiters be out. And then also, you know, in the other cities that you're going to be in, if you're in Grand Rapids, Milwaukee, Toronto, everywhere. Like I said, like literally everywhere. You have worked with a lot of other artists. You've become like the singer singer. Like you are the industry's singers. Like the industry stands up and reps for The War & Treaty. If it's the Kennedy Center Honors, if it's award shows, speaking of Detroit, your duet together to "Motown" was so phenomenal and amazing at the Kennedy Center Honors. What is it like when you get to work with, you know, if it's Zach Bryan or if it's the Brothers Osborne or if it's Josh Groban at Christmas, or if it's Bon Jovi? Like what's it like when artists call you and say, like, I want to sing with The War & Treaty?

[7:55] Tanya Trotter: It's a pinching moment. I mean, it is really like we're, you know, we pinch ourselves. We're like, did Bon Jovi? How do you find out about us? First thing is how they know, you know, how do they find out about us? I think that's the first question that we ask is wow, they know us, you know. And that's the exciting thing about all of it. And we're extremely grateful. I mean, to be able to have someone of a Zach Bryan's, you know, capacity, and John Bon Jovi and Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, all these Brandy Carlisle, all these people, John Legend, you know, to even know your name and to support you and to put their fan base behind you and want to introduce you to their fan base is incredible. We've had a lot of plus ones along this journey, you know. People who've joined the journey and just have, you know, helped us get here.

[8:50] Robert Bannon: Everyone's trying to put people in a box. It seems like, you know, you're yeah, and you can't be a country act, but they can be a country act, and you have to be an R&B act, and you know, as somebody who is in the city of a beautiful black husband who loves country music and it's made fun of. And he's like, "This isn't music for us, but music is for people." And you have defined that expectation that you can sing anything for anybody, and if it moves you, it's for you.

[9:13] Tanya Trotter: That's right. You've answered that question, you made that statement, and that's what we do. You know, it's for you, and whatever you want to listen to. If you want to listen to polka music, it's music, and you find it and you love it, it's for you. How do you find your music? Do you guys write? Do people send you music? Is it a collaboration? Sometimes you have covers in your live show. How do you pick what you do?

[9:34] Tanya Trotter: Michael is the set list. He's not, he's still not here, but it's okay. He's out doing his thing. He's working, he's trying to get here. We have a show tomorrow in Florida. So he's doing, we've all been sick. We've had, you know, the flu, so we're just trying to get our wits about us. But Michael writes everything. I co-write on a lot of things. He's produced this record. We work with Dave Cobb on the last record, record before that. We have Buddy Miller, but mostly all the songs come from us.

[10:05] Robert Bannon: And those groups that you mentioned, like they're singers and songwriters, and they're out here doing their thing, and then your songs come in together and put it together. How do you decide like it's time for a new album? Like, how do you make these decisions? Do you sit down with your team of people? Is it just you two as an intimate couple who are like, "Let's put new music out"? How does it work?

[10:22] Tanya Trotter: Yeah, we do that. It's just us together. We've been fortunate enough to get to a place where we started our own management team. So we've put a lot of managers, you know, young managers around us, seasoned people around us, and we knocked every, you know, every, they're all our again, our plus ones. We don't do anything without consulting our team, but including them because I think it's important for the vision to be everybody's vision so that everyone can speak the same language.

[10:51] Robert Bannon: Now, Michael is a veteran and served, and throughout that time, I mean, you read about his story. What an incredible, incredible story. Does that, and he learned piano?

[11:01] Tanya Trotter: He learned piano literally overseas.

[11:05] Robert Bannon: Yes, he learned how to play the piano. He's a combat veteran, he's a wounded warrior, and he learned how to play the piano when he was there from 2004 to 2007 on Saddam Hussein's piano. He had pianos that, you know, all around the city, and rumor has it that he was a classical pianist and he loved to play his piano.

[11:28] Tanya Trotter: So Michael in Sephine Solis, in his time at war, one of his battle buddies, commanders took him down into an area and they found a piano, it was dirty, he says, and they had to dust the dirt off of it, and he started to play the piano, you know, finger fingering it, you know, one, two, three, finding the notes. And then, you know, over time, one of his battle buddies passed away, and he went to his commander and asked him if he could sing a song at the memorial. And when he sang the song at the memorial, it moved so many people that they asked him if this is something he would do permanently. So they took him off the front lines and he became a songwriter in the army for the fallen.

[12:19] Robert Bannon: Oh my god, what an honor. And thank him for his service and thank you for your service and all that he's done.

[12:25] Tanya Trotter: Thank you. Every day, what you do is a service for us because just the music that you put out. And I hope you know, and I'm sure you do, but around this world, there are millions of people who play your albums, and you give us so much joy to share with our loved ones or our family or a stressful day to get our energy out. And the work that you do and the hours you put in really make a difference because it really moves us and makes us smile and gives us our moments out here.

[12:50] Tanya Trotter: Oh, thank you. That is so humbling, and it just brings tears to our eyes. Everything that we do, every move that we make, you know, getting on the road today to go to Florida to play for people. We couldn't do this without you guys. You know, we wouldn't have a reason to do music. Of sure, of course, we could play it in our home, but what would that do if it was just us playing it in our house and not share that with you guys? The world needs you, we need you. So when we come to see you in concert, we all are gonna be ready and roaring to go.

[13:23] Robert Bannon: Hey, and I want people to get their tickets while we're here as well. I am a guy about the whole thing. So you're gonna leave to go on the road. What's it like for you on the road? Are you tour bus? Are you city to city? Do you love being on the road? Do you miss your house? How do you make that work?

[13:39] Tanya Trotter: You know, again, it goes back to the fan. It always is gonna go back to we have our community called Hearts Towns. We started this about seven years ago when we got on the road, and it's just a group of people. It started out with just a few of us in Albion, Michigan, and then it grew to people like yourself and people who are just a part of our what we do. And we have been able to buy our own tour bus. So we just bought our own tour bus. This is our first tour that we'll be, you know, driving around as owners, and we're so grateful because we could not do this again without the support of our fans.

[14:12] Tanya Trotter: So we traveled on the tour bus now. This is our official today, official first road trip on our bus. We're taking our little dog, so we'll see how that works out. And our son traveled with us for 12 years. He was homeschooled, but he's back in school now, and our core band who's been with us for about five years. So this is gonna be a lot of fun. We're also on a health journey, so this will be the first time we're like not having bad snacks on the road, you know. So it's gonna be a lot of fun.

[14:42] Robert Bannon: I saw that you were so sweet and supportive to your husband today on social media. Shout out to everybody. I was at the gym yesterday. I hate it there so much, but I know we, I hate the gym.

[14:52] Tanya Trotter: I do. I've had to change my perspective on it, though. So what I've done is I made it work for me. I only do 20 minutes a day. Okay. That's it. Free weights, and then I use the rest of the day to walk. So instead of me, you know, getting in my car to drive somewhere, if I know it's like 10 minutes, I'll just walk there. So I'll see you. And then you get on stage and do 90 minutes or two hours of singing your face off.

[15:23] Robert Bannon: That works. For people that are out here that we could support you. We could support them by buying tickets to the show, obviously, but we also need to listen to the albums. And you know, they give away their music practically for free on streaming platforms. So you can buy stuff like when you could buy the vinyl or buy something that you can support them and listen to the album, share it with a friend, show somebody that you love or care about their new album because it's so good from beginning. I love it. I'll be singing "Skyscraper" all the way home today and all the songs.

[15:52] Tanya Trotter: Um, and then we need to come and support you and see the show live because there's gonna be nothing like the energy of when you hit when you kick it and hit it on that stage. It's different. The album is very different. And one of the things I wanted to share is that Detroit will actually be a live recording.

[16:08] Robert Bannon: Really?

[16:08] Tanya Trotter: Yeah, Detroit's a live recording. We have a section for that town I was telling you about, Heartstown, where everyone can bring their cameras, they can bring their camera stands, they can record the show. The only thing is you can't sell it. So you can put it up on YouTube. You can have professional footage of the show, audio. So we have that. We're doing it there in LA, a couple other cities, but Detroit will definitely be the first city we do our live recording at.

[16:36] Robert Bannon: Oh, I'll be there.

[16:37] Tanya Trotter: Yeah. Everybody, come see me. I'll be there March 29th, St. Andrews Hall in the middle of Detroit. Tickets are now on sale. If you want all the dates, all you gotta do is go to their Instagram page or go over to the website, go to thewarandtreaty.com, buy your tickets now from Connecticut to the west coast to the south to the north to all over the place.

[16:54] Robert Bannon: So please be safe on the road. Send Michael our love. Tell him we say we thank you. We love you here in my house. We love, love, love you here in our house. We're so excited to have you here.

[17:04] Tanya Trotter: Thank you so much. And tell your friend, great friend, that he better keep listening to that country music. It's for him too.

[17:10] Robert Bannon: It's for him too. We're all going. Let's go. I love it. I'll see you.

[17:14] Tanya Trotter: I will see you on the 29th.

[17:16] Robert Bannon: Okay. Thank you.

[17:18] Tanya Trotter: Thank you.