Orville Peck Surveys Sobriety On New LP, ‘Mule’

Orville Peck is leaving nothing to the imagination. The masked, openly gay country singer has announced Mule, his fourth studio album and what he describes as his most personal work to date. Due Sept. 18 via Warner Records, the project chronicles a year of addiction, sobriety and rebuilding, tracing what Peck calls the period that reshaped his life through songs rooted in classic country, bluegrass and Americana.

Alongside the announcement, Peck has released two new tracks. Album opener “Prologue (Eulogy of a Man Turned Mule)” features Emmylou Harris, Noah Cyrus and Allison Russell harmonizing on lyrics written and arranged by Peck, while lead single “Too Little, Too Late” finds him embracing a triumphant, country/pop sound.

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Produced by Jay Joyce and co-written with Dan Wilson and Steve Rusch, the song captures the satisfaction of moving on after an ex tries to return. “Ooh they say, good things come to those who wait…” Peck sings before delivering the punchline: “…too little, too late.”

The accompanying video for “Prologue (Eulogy of a Man Turned Mule)” places Harris, Cyrus and Russell in black veils — and, in an eerie alternate setting, nurse uniform — as they perform Peck’s imagined eulogy, setting the stage for an album that turns an apparent ending into a new beginning.

The announcement arrives three days after Peck made his Grand Ole Opry debut. He’ll support Mule with the Man Turned Mule tour, beginning Oct. 28 in Sacramento, Ca., after a headlining performance at the Hollywood Bowl and wrapping Nov. 22 in Huntington, N.Y. Nashville singer/songwriter Abbie Callahan will open the North American dates, and $1 from every ticket sold will benefit the Trevor Project, supporting crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ young people.

Mule follows last November’s Appaloosa EP and continues a prolific stretch for Peck that also included filming the upcoming Street Fighter movie, in which he plays Vega, and a 128-performance run on Broadway in Cabaret.

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