NPR Music

The War and Treaty: Tiny Desk Concert

NPR | By Tom Huizenga

Published July 23, 2026 at 4:00 AM CDT

I told myself I wasn't going to tear up at this Tiny Desk by The War and Treaty. So much for willpower. When a performance is this strong, there's no holding back.

For more than a decade, Michael and Tanya Trotter, a husband-and-wife duo based in Nashville, have delivered music directly from the heart. There is no pretense; they are exactly themselves. Naturally, it helps to possess voices rich in both opulence and amplitude, along with emotive astuteness. Michael can toss off a gritty scream reminiscent of Bobby Womack, but touched with the sensuality of Teddy Pendergrass, while Tanya can rock out her voice, à la Tina Turner.

Tanya traces her career roots back to Washington, D.C., while Michael's back story is more tangled. He taught himself piano as a soldier when there happened to be an instrument in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces where he and his U.S. Army unit were encamped during the Iraq War. Later, he suffered from PTSD — along with suicidal thoughts and homelessness — which inspired him to write "Five More Minutes."

That song blends classic soul with rock, just two of the many genres the Trotters routinely merge. There are flashes of country, Americana, R&B and funk in their songs. A retro soul vibe runs through this Tiny Desk set, enthralling the audience, which included local family members and the legendary DJ Donnie Simpson.

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