New Orthodox is "New american" music, not in sound but in participation. Led by New York state-based multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Merz, he invites collaborators within and beyond state lines such as Freak Heat Waves, Thor Harris, and Spencer Krug, to bring the work to life. Through a patchwork of disparate musical styles that borders on performance art, the project is focused on highlighting the human element of error, and creating as little distraction as possible around it. The band's ethos leans heavily into minimalist repetition, sonic experimentation, and lyrical insights that give way to live performances and recordings that utilize space and silence to imitate the human experience. The music is both intimate and grand, charged and claustrophobic, taking the tools of country and spinning them out of context.