Orville Peck is opening up about the parts of sobriety that don’t make the highlight reel. In a new ABC Nightline interview with correspondent Jaclyn Lee, the“Dead of Night”singer revealed he didn’t enter rehab voluntarily after a near-fatal overdose. Instead, he says he was“basically given an ultimatum”about his career. He also canceled his tour, entered treatment, and lost his relationship during that period, admitting he initially got sober for other people before making it his own priority.
If that sounds heavy, it is, and Peck doesn’t sugarcoat it. He told Lee that his anxiety sometimes feels worse now because he was numbing it before, a reminder that sobriety doesn’t erase the hard stuff, it just stops hiding it. The interview, taped backstage before his September 18 Hollywood Bowl show, also covers his evolving mask, childhood bullying, and the ongoing work of radical self-acceptance. It’s the kind of conversation fans rarely get from country artists at his level.
Meanwhile, the music keeps moving. His Jay Joyce-produced album Mule debuted at No. 19 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and the Man Turned Mule Tour runs through November 22, with one dollar from every ticket donated to the Trevor Project. You can catch the full Nightline interview Tuesday at 12:35 a.m. ET on ABC. What do you think, is honesty like this the next chapter of country music?
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.