Here are four little words I swore I’d never say: I love country music.
Growing up, I could not hide my disdain for the genre. Besides rare instances like my brief but intense love for Rascal Flatts (I will never not cry while listening to “What Hurts the Most”), I preferred other genres like alternative or pop.
I’ve discovered country music, like most things in life, is a little gay. It has a subtle, yet noticeably queer, undercurrent in household names like Brandi Carlile, TJ Osborne, and Brandy Clark.
These artists helped paved the way for LGBTQ+ representation in country music and created space for newer artists to flourish. Including the one and only Beyonce.
Then, there’s Orville Peck. This masked cowboy encapsulates how country music can tell queer stories.
Orville Peck: The Man Behind the Mask
Peck’s masks are part of the fun. They vary in color, style, rhinestone intensity, fringe and all—but always disguise his identity. Whether you wish to know his identity is up to you — and a quick Google search away (or check out this piece in The Tennessean that ran after Peck’s big appearance on “Little Big Town’s Christmas at the Opry” in December). I, for one, am not about spoilers!
His masks elevate his performance, allowing the audience to transfix on the character he’s created. At this point, to see Peck’s actual face would distract from his carefully created fantasy.
Peck disguised more of his face back in 2022 when he first began wearing masks as part of his persona. (photos courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
.
GQ Australia asked Peck about his masks in 2020. “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,” he said. “I don’t want to lay it out and pin it down. I just don’t think that’s important.”
You may notice, as I have, a slight shift recently in Peck’s masks.
In the past, Peck covered most of his face. In the artwork for his upcoming album “Stampede,” much of his face is revealed. Likewise during “Christmas at the Opry,” It begs the question: how much more of himself does he plan to reveal?
It Started with “Pony”
Released in 2019, Orville’s freshman album “Pony” makes a great impression for any first-time listener.
Some might describe it as cowboy pop or alternative country. I call it an experience that must be had to fully understand.
The album’s biggest hit is “Dead of Night,” featuring a slow but melodic introduction that captures the sensation of a summer night drive with the windows down:
“The sun goes down, another dreamless night
You’re right by my side
You wake me up, you say it’s time to ride
In the dead of night
Strange canyon road, strange look in your eyes
You shut them as we fly.”
Later, Orville alludes to heartbreak and liberation:
“Six summers down, another dreamless night
You’re not by my side
Scratch on the moon, like a familiar smile
Stained on my mind
Some other town, someone else’s life
Dead in the night, in the night.”
I love the double meaning in his use of the word “dead:” Is he referring to the love he’s lost? Or to the stillness of the night?
I had the privilege of hearing Orville sing most of “Pony”’s tracklist at the Raccoon Motel in downtown Davenport in 2021. His rendition of “Dead of Night’” was beautiful to witness, and mesmerized the audience.
Next: “Bronco,” “Show Pony”
Orville followed his 2019 album with his EP “Show Pony.” One of the six tracks features Shania Twain. After taking a mental health break, Orville released his 2022 album “Bronco,” an impressive collection that expands on his style.
Right out’ the gate, I loved “Outta Time,” a song that seems to represent a moment of change. Peck sings about the people he encounters as he travels down the Pacific Coast Highway with little time for conversation:
“I met a man in Denver
Bottle neck and some old blue jeans
Tells me we got something special
Now I say, some things ain’t what they seem”
The subtle way Orville mentions his queerness is another reason I enjoy his music. He creates stories through song that just happen to feature gay characters, while the lyrics themselves appeal to people outside the queer community.
The “Stampede” Is Here
I am so excited for Orville’s latest genre-stretching album “Stampede.” Every track on this album features another artist. They include Willie Nelson, Elton John, and even THE Kylie Minogue!
Peck’s track with Nelson is undoubtedly one of his gayest to date. They cover “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” originally written and performed by Latin country musician Ned Sublette.
This is the second time Nelson has covered the song, the first in 2006. The lyrics cheekily poke fun at the concept of gender:
“Cowboys are frequently secretly fond of each other
What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?
And there’s many a cowboy who don’t understand
the way that he feels for his brother
And inside every lady there’s a cowboy who wants to come out
And inside every cowboy there’s a lady that’d love to slip out”
The Future of Country is Gay
Country music is already making space for queer voices. Artists like Beyonce and Peck are creating music that respects the genre while strengthening its potential to reach more people. I’m excited to see how country music will evolve in the years to come.
(This article originally appeared in the August 2024 print magazine of The Real Mainstream. Click here to order home delivery.)
