Forget everything you think you know about folk music being polite background noise. “Good and True,” the killer new single from hornist/vocalist Mary Beth Orr and multi-instrumentalist Greg Scheer, is a whole different beast. This track is the unvarnished sonic truth that lands with the weight of a classic unplugged session, proving you don’t need a wall of amps to pack real power. Sometimes you just need heart and serious skills.
Let’s be clear: Mary Beth Orr is the real deal. She’s 3rd Horn with the Grand Rapids Symphony, she’s played with the Detroit Symphony, and she’s got a stack of international competition wins. The woman knows her stuff. But here – she takes all that classical precision and channels it into something way more subliminal. Her voice is the central instrument— warm, clear, and confidently commanding. The fact that this was forged in the fire of new motherhood, written in 15-minute intervals with her newborn son strapped to her chest, is the fuel in the tank. You can hear that mama-bear resilience bleeding through.
Then there’s that horn of hers. We’re not talking polite orchestral backing here. Orr handles her French horn like a rock guitarist shredding a solo, trading melodic licks with her own voice. It becomes this second voice—rich, resonant, making lines that feel more like searing guitar work than classical filler. It’s bold.
Holding this immense force together is Greg Scheer. On guitar and bass, his role is the unsung hero—the rock-solid rhythm section. His playing’s got this grounded, earthy pulse that gives Orr’s soaring vocals and those killer horn lines the foundation they need to really take off. It’s the kind of understated, essential work that locks down the groove and gives the track its undeniable spine.
Inspired by the birthing song of the Dagara Tribe, the song is all about creation, endurance, and real human connection. It’s a track that feels ancient and right-here-right-now at the same time. This is music with a purpose, ripped straight from real life and recorded with a warmth that basically flips the bird to today’s over-polished, radio-ready production. (No wonder Zachary Rumley featured it in his documentary, A Redux Renaissance.)
“Good and True” doesn’t mess around. Mary Beth Orr and Greg Scheer are what authentic artistry sounds like when it’s wound up and let loose.