The War and Treaty, Brothers Osborne’s CMAs Collab Is a ‘Testimony to the Family Atmosphere’
Rising act The War and Treaty and country mainstay Brothers Osborne are both duos, and on the surface, that's just about all they seem to have in common. One is a husband-and-wife pair, while the other consists of two brothers; one draws comparison to Ike and Tina Turner, while the other is country music's very own jam band.
But both duos have a passion for unexpected collaborations and fun-loving onstage team-ups, and that's exactly what they laid out when they took the stage together at the 2022 CMA Awards, performing a live rendition of their new cover of the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)."
Backstage at the CMAs after their performance, the War and Treaty's Michael and Tanya Trotter told media that their latest collaboration might not have ever come about if it weren't for another awards show performance they did with another mainstream country superstar.
Back at the 2021 ACM Awards, Dierks Bentley covered U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and he brought the War and Treaty onstage to help him do it. They brought their signature, rafter-rattling harmonies to help make the performance one of the most memorable of the evening — and caught the eye of T.J. Osborne.
"It's just a testimony to the family atmosphere of country music," the duo explains. "...That evening, we got an Instagram message from T.J. saying, 'We're having an afterparty at my house. Y'all should come by.'
"He was so kind to us," Michael Trotter went on to say, joking, "he didn't care that I was eating all the food up."
From there, they got to know T.J and John Osborne, first recording "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" for the Stoned Cold Country tribute album commemorating the Rolling Stones' 60th anniversary, and then adapting that performance to a live setting for the 2022 CMAs. Now, the band mates hope that the final version of their live performance reflects the fun and love they poured into the collaboration.
"So much love and happiness — we really hope that's what comes across," Michael adds. "Where else could you get two brothers and lovers colliding like that?"