THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK
WHILE many pop acts seem to be wearing next to nothing – Orville Peck is covering up.
The American goth country enigma – who releases his debut album, Pony, next Friday – never goes out in public without his trademark fringed leather mask.
He reckons his cowboy image of the faceless drifter goes with his lonesome music – a mix of Roy Orbison and Lana Del Rey – with mournful melodies and hipster lyrics.
The singer defends his outfit and masks pointing out that while Oasis wore jeans, their fame came from the Gallagher brothers’ spats with themselves and everyone else.
He said: “If your aesthetic is like wearing jeans and a t-shirt and you play in like Oasis or whatever, then that’s great, that’s fine. I don’t think everyone has to be wearing an Orville Peck mask, but if you look at a band like Oasis — who I’m actually a big fan of — they created an entire cult-like following solely based on their s ***** personalities.” Orville sees his music and his look as one. And he’s proud he’s making an effort trying to create an image in an often faceless music business led by studio-based producers and teams of songwriters. All he’ll say about himself is he’s a drifter who in the last four years has moved nine times and in his life has lived in five countries. He has 14 different masks which he chooses from when he’s playing live and there’s one with chains and one whose fringes hang almost to his feet. Check out the video for single Dead of Night, which was shot on location in Nevada at the legendary Chicken Ranch brothel (the real-life inspiration for The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas), and features many of the ladies who work there. It’s very Lana Del Rey until you hear that voice which soars like a coyote. ● Orville Peck’s debut album Pony is out on March 22.