Seeing is believing in the War and Treaty, the acclaimed Americana duo

At concerts, some bands set aside audience sections for “tapers” who want to record the audio with sophisticated equipment and share it with other fans. At their gigs, the War and Treaty, an award-winning Americana duo, have an area for fans to make live video recordings, pro camera or not.

“They’ll be actual sections that won’t disturb the people who are there to party, to cry, to dance,” said Tanya Trotter of the War and Treaty, who kick off their 2025 tour Wednesday at the Fine Line in Minneapolis. “They just want to come and videotape the show. They can’t sell it, of course. But they can put it up on YouTube; they can share it with each other.”

Why do fans want to video the War and Treaty?

Because the War and Treaty — a husband-and-wife duo that blends R&B, gospel, blues, country and Americana — are one of today’s most dynamic, enthralling and uplifting live acts. Their records don’t do them justice.

Imagine the steamy romantic duos of Ashford & Simpson, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham (back when they got along) soaring with the voices of Al Green and Aretha Franklin. Yes, the War and Treaty are that extraordinary.

Since the Americana Award-winning duo haven’t been getting much traction on radio over the course of their four albums, the War and Treaty have opted to use television as their primary promotional tool.

Kennedy Center Honors, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, “CBS Mornings,” “Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” various country-music award shows. Even Ozempic commercials.

“In our day and age, streaming is a thing that hasn’t overthrown the power of radio in each genre,” Michael said. “What makes us more of a global attraction is that we’re on television shows that don’t cater to a certain base. So I feel it’s very important. So we’ll take every doggone TV appearance we can just to stay in your face.”

As for Ozempic commercials, that’s more about Michael’s battle with diabetes, though the nonmusical TV exposure promotes the name of their group.

The Trotters — Michael, 42, in his trucker cap, and Tanya, 52, in her “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” tee — were sitting shoulder to shoulder this month speaking via Zoom from their Nashville home.

With their just-released album “Plus One,” the War and Treaty are making their most concerted effort to stake their claim in country music. Not only are they often wearing fringe outfits (and an occasional cowboy hat) at public appearances but they co-wrote songs with such Nashville fixtures as Miranda Lambert and Jesse Frasure as well as enlisting Billy Strings to play guitar.

For “Plus One,” the Trotters crafted 18 songs, some with fiddle and banjo. (They’ll have a banjo in the road band.) Despite these traditional signifiers of country music, the War and Treaty aren’t selling out to Nashville.

“What’s most important to me is that Tanya and I stay true and honest to what we feel,” Michael said. “And we feel there’s a space in country music to tell a different side of the story. I believe Ray Charles started it off with the ‘Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music’ [in 1962] and I think no one’s picked it up since then.”

He cited “Mr. Fun,” “The Glorious Ones” and “Stealing a Kiss” as songs on the new album that expand the country traditions in a War and Treaty way.

“If we dare to open up to other perspectives,” he continued, “then that’s the success to our journey in country music.”

In other words, the War and Treaty are not compromising.

At a music festival in Maryland in 2010, Tanya Blount, who had pursued a solo R&B and acting career (she was in the film “Sister Act 2”), met Michael Trotter, an Iraq vet who learned to play the piano while encamped at one of Saddam Hussein’s private palaces.

A year later, they married, and the duo released their debut, “Healing Tide,” produced by Buddy Miller, in 2018. After seven name changes, they chose their moniker in the middle of a heated discussion in which Tanya said something like “This is not a war. Let’s come to some sort of treaty here.”

In 2019, the War and Treaty were named emerging artist of the year at the Americana Music Awards, and they’ve since won duo of the year at those awards. The pair have been nominated for Grammy Awards, including best new artist, as well as various country awards at the Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) and the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMs).

Widely respected in a variety of music circles, the War and Treaty have worked with many different stars — from Jon Bon Jovi and Brandi Carlile to Emmylou Harris and Zach Bryan, who featured them on his 2023 hit “Hey Driver.”

John Legend, for whom they’ve opened concerts, is a producer of a forthcoming theatrical biopic, “The War and Treaty,” with the tagline “The war brought him music, and music brought him love.”

“It’s written, fully written, we were involved,” said Michael. “We’re moving into casting phase now.”

“We go from PTSD to the Grand Ole Opry,” Tanya picked up. “That’s testimony.”

“It predominantly focuses on the love that saved me from those things and the caretaker, which is Tanya,” Michael continued.

The War and Treaty could be considered genre-less or a genre unto themselves. Do they need a genre to call home?

“I don’t think so,” Tanya said. “If it’s country, if it’s rock, whatever it is, it’s ours. It’s the emotion that drives it. It’s easier as an artist when they can just say this is what [genre] we’re going to market you. But those old ways of thinking are going to die really soon because you have things like Spotify where people can make their own playlists and have 15 different genres. They’ve become their own programmers.”

Because they are based in Nashville and record for a national label that boasts country superstar Chris Stapleton, the War and Treaty are thought to be at least country-adjacent. The genre has been dominated by white male singers. What’s the challenge to be a Black duo in country?

“I don’t feel like it’s difficult,” Tanya opined. “When we first started doing Americana music, they hadn’t had a Black act to win an Americana award and we broke that barrier. They hadn’t had Black husband-and-wife duo nominated for CMA or AMA. And we did that. Even if we tread into different waters, we’ve proven to people that want to come behind us that it’s possible.”

When Tanya and Michael sing face to face in concert, whether doing a classic country ballad like “Yesterday’s Burn” or a roof-raising testimony like “Can I Get an Amen,” it seems anything is possible.

What goes through their mind when they’re nose to nose onstage, lost in song?

“I love this guy,” Tanya said, her face lighting up. “Whether doing TV or small clubs, I can’t believe we’ve worked this hard and we’re doing this. There are moments when we’re singing, and we’ll get teary-eyed. And those memories and thoughts take over.”

“I can’t tell you what’s going on in my mind,” Michael interjected. “It’s not PG-rated in there.”

Tanya broke out laughing.

Opening: Tiera Kennedy.

When: 8 p.m. Wed.

Where: Fine Line, 318 1st Av. N., Mpls.

Tickets: $39.57 and up, axs.com.