War and Treaty Push Back on 'Not Country Enough' Criticism
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- The War and Treaty (Michael and Tanya Trotter) have earned multiple CMA and ACM nominations but say they've been told their music 'doesn't sound country enough'
- Michael Trotter questions the genre gatekeeping, citing Morgan Wallen topping the country charts with what he calls art that is 'not country enough'
- The duo released their latest album, The Story of Michael and Tanya, on a new label last month and have formed their own management company
- Despite releasing the Nashville-centric album Plus One in 2025, the Trotters were not nominated at this year's Academy of Country Music Awards
- Tanya Trotter frames their pivot as roots-music survival: 'Americana is roots music. So, everything starts from the roots ... create a system that works for you'
- The conversation, drawn from Rolling Stone's Nashville Now podcast (hosted by Joseph Hudak), also covers Michael's military service and his thoughts on patriotism
Why it matters: The Trotters' case crystallizes a long-running tension inside Nashville: when Morgan Wallen tops the country charts with pop-leaning production, the gatekeeping that sidelines Black-rooted country acts like the War and Treaty becomes harder to justify — and the duo's decision to launch their own management and release on a new label points to artists building parallel infrastructure outside Music Row's approval system.
