“It was a different kind of freedom”: The War and Treaty talk about the creation and impact of their latest album, The Story of Michael and Tanya
Ahead of their debut performance in Laramie, husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty took a moment from their tour rehearsals to talk to Wyoming Sounds.
The Grammy-nominated duo released their fifth album The Story of Michael and Tanya earlier this year, a collection of deeply personal, genre-blending tracks that marked their first release on Atlantic Records. “We have a new team with Atlantic Outpost, and they just give us freedom,” Tanya said about the new album. “We have different producers working with us; it was a different kind of freedom.”
The Story of Michael and Tanya features some remarkable names in music and beyond; Valerie June and Wynonna step in to lend a voice on the powerfully soulful Reclaim All Of Your Time. “We’re very blessed, very honoured that they agreed to be a part of what we’re doing and add their special touch,” Michael reflected. On the album’s opening track Litty, Whoopi Goldberg helped to welcome the audience into the musical world being created.
“She’s a living legend, an American treasure – well, a global treasure,” Tanya said, the magnitude of having a relationship with someone as inspirational as Goldberg evidently never going unappreciated. While the pair are grateful for the support they find in their friends, they are also continuously finding inspiration in the music that has come before them too.
“It’s been a wonderful journey to fall in love over and over again with music from Ray Charles, Nina Simone and Nat King Cole – and I will emphasise the King part,” Michael answered when asked about whose work has had an impact on The War and Treaty’s catalogue. “Diana Ross, Tina Turney, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin – the blood is running through our veins.”
The War and Treaty have been revered for their genre flexibility, never boxing themselves into one sound, and with a piece of work like Ray Charles’ Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music being on regular rotation for the duo, their contribution to the country music world does not go unnoticed. Michael and Tanya have recently been named the first recipients of the Origins Vanguard Award, recognizing the impact that they’ve had on the evolution of country music in its current landscape.
“It is really soul-stirring. We didn’t really understand the magnitude of [the award] until the announcements. We’ve put a lot of time and effort into our career, and it’s so exciting that someone sees us in this way. This is a high honour.”
As the duo are heading to Laramie for their upcoming stop on the Country Baptism tour, conversation turned to whether Western music could be added into the mix in the future. “I don’t feel we’ve explored any style of music enough,” Michael said. “So it’s a lot of fun for us, continually exploring and discovering secret gems that the music world has to offer.”
The War and Treaty confirmed that they have new music on the way, some of it already being performed to their fans. “The thing about being live is that you always have the opportunity to work out the kinks in front of a live audience, so we’re testing out new songs,” Tanya said about the Country Baptism tour. “It’s going great; we’re very excited.”
“We’re in our moment where we’re connecting together, we’re connecting with our band, and now we’re ready to connect with our audience.”
The War and Treaty will be playing on Friday, October 16th at the University of Wyoming Arts and Sciences Auditorium. “We can’t wait. I hope Laramie brings their dancing shoes because we’re going to have a good time.”
