Track appears on the duo’s upcoming major-label debut Lover’s Game
The War and Treaty go head to head with evil itself in their new song “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me,” which was released on Friday. It’s the latest offering from the husband-and-wife duo’s upcoming album Lover’s Game, due out March 10.
The arrangement feels ominous right off the bat — deep, sustained piano notes underpin a minor-key acoustic guitar figure that’s doubled by an electric organ. Then Michael Trotter starts singing. “I’ve seen the devil/I’ve seen his son,” he sings, setting the tone as the chords begin to make an eerie descent.
But this is a tale of survival, not woe, and Michael and his wife Tanya Trotter have the cunning and courage to outwit the devil. “I done took the devil’s gold/I done took the devil’s heat,” they sing, voices wrapping around one another like a suit of armor. It builds to a stormy finish like the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” but in this case, it’s easy to believe the good folks will prevail.
“We wrote this together as a personal testament to ourselves…we aren’t afraid to face the hard times knowing we have the other by our side,” said Michael Trotter in a statement. “It felt like an awakening for us, and I hope fans can feel that same energy when they hear it.”
Produced by Grammy winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), War and Treaty’s Lover’s Game features 10 new songs and marks their major-label debut after signing to Mercury Records in 2022. The album follows 2020’s Hearts Town, which was released by Rounder. Michael and Tanya Trotter also recently appeared with Brothers Osborne on a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It),” which appears on the Stoned Cold Country tribute album.