Orville Peck
Daniel Pitout
January 6, 1988
Johannesburg, South Africa[1][2]
Singer-songwriter
Vocals, drums, guitar, piano
2017–present
Early life[edit]
Peck was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and lived there until he was 15.[1] As a child, he taught himself music by playing an acoustic guitar and an old Casio keyboard.[6] He is the son of a sound engineer, and he did voice-over work for cartoons and other media as a child.[7] Growing up, he took ballet classes for 12 years, and performed in musical theatre productions. By the time he was in his early 20s, he had been on national tours of musicals.[7]
He moved to London for a foundation degree in acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in 2014.[8] He then played Jonathan Harris/Peter Pan in the Mischief Theatre production of Peter Pan Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre in 2016.[9][10]
Career[edit]
"Orville Peck" is a pseudonym.[11] He has been described as "presumably older than 20 and younger than 40".[11]
Peck self-produced his debut album, Pony, and released it in 2019 through a collaboration with Sub Pop.[12] He has noted that he "wrote, produced and played every instrument he could" on the album while working in a coffee shop and living with his parents.[13] In June of that year, he performed his songs "Dead of Night" and "Take You Back" live on CBC Radio One's Q.[14] Pony was named to the initial longlist for the 2019 Polaris Music Prize in June 2019.[15] The album also received a Juno Award nomination for Alternative Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020.[16]
Peck performed "Dead of Night" on Jimmy Kimmel Live on January 29, 2020.[17] He also announced a tour of selected cities in the United States, including performances at the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals.[17]
In May 2020, Peck announced the follow-up to his debut album, an EP titled Show Pony, with a release date of June 12, 2020. In July, 2020, Peck announced the delayed release of Show Pony until August 14, 2020, in recognition of the Black Lives Matter movement and the ongoing protests against police brutality in the United States.[18][19]
Peck recorded a cover of "Smalltown Boy" for the 2020 Pride edition of the Spotify Singles series. The song was released exclusively on Spotify on June 29, 2020, and everywhere else on July 31, 2020.[20]
In April 2021, Peck was featured on American drag queen and singer Trixie Mattel's EP, Full Coverage, Vol. 1. He appeared on the song "Jackson", a duet cover of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash's "Jackson".[21] Although not credited in the liner notes for the EP, Trixie Mattel has confirmed that the whistle part in "Video Games" is Orville's whistle.[22] In June, he was revealed to be the sixth artist on Lady Gaga's Born This Way The Tenth Anniversary, with Peck reimagining the song "Born This Way" in a country style.[23]
In 2022, Peck's home was featured and toured by Architectural Digest.[24] The video was released on November 6, 2023 with the article released on November 7, 2023.
On March 16, 2023, Peck made an appearance as a guest on the judge's panel on MTV's RuPaul's Drag Race, alongside RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage, and Ross Mathews.[25] In 2023, Peck was a coach and judge on My Kind of Country.[26]
On April 5, 2024, Peck released a cover of Ned Sublette's "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" with country musician Willie Nelson as the lead single from Stampede, Peck's upcoming duets album. The single marked his first release on Warner Records.[27] Peck also announced a headlining North American tour, The Stampede Tour, set to begin on May 28, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina.[28]
Artistry[edit]
Identity[edit]
It has been confirmed that Orville Peck is a persona of Daniel Pitout, drummer of the Canadian punk band Nü Sensae.[29] It was previously speculated that Pitout was Peck based on the similarity of their tattoos,[30][31] and Peck's mentioning that he was in a punk band. Pitout was born in Johannesburg, South Africa,[32] as was Peck.[1] Pitout is also listed by ASCAP as the songwriter for Peck's song "Old River"[33] and other songs that match the titles of the songs released by Peck, such as "Roses Are Falling".[34]
Influences[edit]
Peck strongly identifies with 1970s era country music and lists classic stars Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, Bobbie Gentry, Reba McEntire and Dolly Parton as influences. Outside of country music, Peck has mentioned Roy Orbison, Oasis, Whitney Houston and Lana Del Rey and film directors David Lynch and John Waters as influences.[35][36]
Personal life[edit]
Peck is gay.[30][37] Regarding his reasons for wearing a mask to perform, he has stated: "The only reason I don't talk about it in depth is not because I want to dodge any questions, but because I want people to have their own take on it. I don't want to lay it out and pin it down. I just don't think that's important."[38]
Orville Peck discography
2
14
3
9