War and Treaty Brings Eclectic Soul Fusion to DCA

Husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty will fill Door Community Auditorium (DCA) with a unique fusion of soul, country and rock on July 12 at 8pm. Their Fish Creek concert will be one of their first shows back in America after an 11-date European tour.

When Michael Trotter and Tanya Blount met at a festival in 2010, they didn’t know they’d be performing for audiences all over the country only a few years later. The Michigan-based duo started small, performing together in 2014 as simply Trotter & Blount and releasing their debut EP, Down to the River, in 2017. 

But The War and Treaty was quick to gain traction, no doubt thanks to their eclectic sound, which combines a range of genres to craft a brand-new one.

“I’d put their music in that ‘broad as a barn” category of Americana,” DCA executive director Cari Lewis said. “You’ll hear a bit of blues, gospel, soul, bluegrass and country.”

Along with their unique sound, their high-energy performances helped the band grow in popularity, with Trotter playing piano while he and Blount both sing. A band provides backing horns, drums, strings and the occasional tambourine. 

When Lewis heard the band would be touring the Midwest, she was excited to book them for DCA, having watched their career blossom since before the pandemic.

“They’re a husband and wife duo with an intense approach to performance,” Lewis said. “Lots of raw emotion, great sound.”

Only a few months after The War and Treaty’s first EP release, Rolling Stone named them one the 20 best acts of AmericanaFest – and by 2018, they had released their first full album, Healing Tide.

But despite their success, the couple was struggling at home, with Trotter suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in Iraq. In 2017, he was planning to end his life – but Blount persuaded him to stay, if only for “five more minutes.”

Her plea worked, and in 2020, it became a refrain for the song “Five More Minutes,” featured on their second album Hearts Town and performed for audiences worldwide. 

Though the song’s subject matter may be dark, the music is far from sad. Its hopeful chorus is bolstered by bold trumpets and piano, making for a powerful celebration of resilience.

“When you have complex, non-linear issues like PTSD and social injustice, music is a perfect medicine to help us communicate, heal, and help others heal too,” Lewis said.

To see the War and Treaty in concert, order tickets online at dcauditorium.org; by phone at 920.868.2728; or in person at the DCA box office, 3926 Hwy 42 in Fish Creek. Tickets range from $25 to $48.