"We Just Want to Take a Moment to Salute Our Brother": The War & Treaty Pay Tribute to Zach Bryan After He Signs History Making Deal

Husband-and-wife duo, The War & Treaty, AKA Michael Jr. and Tanya Trotter, took to their social media on Tuesday 6 May 2025 to pay tribute to their friend, touring partner and collaborator Zach Bryan.

"We just want to take a moment to salute our brother," the duo wrote in the post alongside a photo of Zach and Michael Jr. backstage. "

"Watching him sign a history-making deal on his own terms without watering down his truth, his grit, or his sound is a reminder that there is a path for artists like us who don’t fit the agenda."

Zach Bryan extended his deal with Warner Records for at least two more albums, as well as selling his publishing catalogue this week in a record-breaking deal reportedly netting Bryan a reported $350 million. All this despite Matthew McConaughey voiceover on Zach Bryan's post back in January traling the film Motorbreath, which suggested that Bryan would only record "one final major label album."

“This is not a film about a band,” McConaughey was heard saying in the voice note. “This is a film about a boy from Oklahoma, a boy who joined the Navy with a love of writing. That writing connected with people — a lot of people. This film is about a group of best friends taking a two-week motorcycle ride across America while recording one final major label album. Oh, and the title of the film, you ask? Motorbreath.”

Bryan has been signed to Warner Records via his Belting Bronco imprint since releasing his 2022 breakthrough album American Heartbreak. During his time with the label, he has released two subsequent albums - 2023’s self-titled album and last year’s The Great American Bar Scene.

A source confirms that Bryan is selling the catalogue to a new company headed by Cameron Strang, who ran Warner Chappell until 2015, and Warner Records until 2017. The buyer of the publishing catalogue is rumoured to be a new entity, apparently called the Merrit Group. Further details about the company and the deal are unconfirmed, although Gary Gersh, formerly a top executive at AEG Presents and Geffen and Capitol Records, is said to be a partner.

The War & Treaty have a long association with the 'Something in the Orange' hitmaker, appearing with him on his self-titled album on the song 'Hey Driver,' which reached the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and performing live together.

"We’re not here to beg our way into country music’s gate kept rooms," the War & Treaty's social post continued. "We’re here to build our own house, brick by brick, with love, soul, humility and fire."

"Zach blazed a trail and we’re proud to walk it boots dirty, hearts wide open."

"Congratulations Zach!" they reiterated. "Thanks for seeing us and letting us add what we do to the record and being one of the real ones who show us love in the light and dark. Sharing your fans and stage with us changed our lives. Love you Bro! Tanya & Michael."

The band first met the 'Pink Skies' singer at the Outlaw Festival with Willie Nelson in 2022.

"I hadn’t heard of him before and I came backstage and I said to our tour manager, I was like, 'I don’t know who this guy is, but every young girl in the audience is singing every single word.' I was just amazed," remembers Tanya. "And then he came backstage and he was passing out T shirts, he introduced himself and it was very friendly, and that was the first time we met."

"So we did the ACM Awards, performed and he happened to be there with his dad," she shared with Billboard Magazine. "Afterwards, he ran up to us as everybody was leaving, and he was like, 'Holy s–t, what just happened to me? I was sitting there and my legs were shaking, and I had chills up and down my arms.' He was like, 'We have to work together. I don’t know what we’re going to do - let’s exchange numbers.'"

"It’s very kind of cliche, it happens all the time in the music business where you see other artists, and it’s always like, 'We got to do a record together.' He and Michael connected, and we were on a three-way text, but Michael and him had the bond of being in the military and serving, and so the dialog happened," Tanya adds. "One day he called us and maybe two weeks later, he had a song, and he was like, 'I want to hear what you guys sound like on this song.' So we put a voice memo together, sent it to him, he loved it and it was on Instagram I think in less than 20 minutes."

~~

The War And Treaty's fourth studio album, Plus One, is available now via Merucry Nashville.

For more on The War And Treaty, see below: