Orville Peck felt “a little naked” after dropping his signature fringed face mask

Orville Peck has opened up about the change in his signature face mask, sharing that he felt naked following the removal of the mask’s iconic fringe.

• READ MORE: Orville Peck – ‘Bronco’ review: masked man bares his soul with retro-country razzle-dazzle

The country crooner is known for sporting a cowboy hat and a fringed face mask as a way to conceal his identity. Recently, however, the ‘Dead Of Night’ singer has made a massive change to his signature look by kicking the long face-covering tassels for a mask that is a bit more revealing.

Now, with the use of the new mask, fans are able to see the lower half of the musician’s face. Speaking to Grammy.com, the singer discussed his reasoning for making the big change.

“The fringe was sort of a pain in the ass for a lot of things, like going to dinners and things like that. So now that’s a lot easier. When I first started doing shows with my new mask, it was a little nerve-wracking to go out and feel like I was sort of a little naked, but I’ve gotten over that now.”

He continued: “I know people feel very connected to the mask and very protective over it, but I make art for myself. So when I know it’s time to evolve and change something, that’s because I need a challenge.”

Peck went on to say that the change gives him something to “keep me inspired as an artist and making good art, rather than just doing the same thing over and over again, or pandering to people who expect me to be something or someone.”

The singer recently shared ‘Death Valley High’, his collab track with Beck which will appear on his upcoming LP ‘Stampede’ which is set for release on August 2 via Warner. The album will also feature ‘Midnight Ride’, the masked singer’s collab with Kylie Minogue and Diplo as well as ‘You’re an Asshole, I Can’t Stand You (and I Want a Divorce)’ featuring Margo Price. You can pre-order / pre-save the album here.

‘Stampede’ will serve as a follow-up to Peck’s 2022 LP ‘Bronco‘. In a four-star review of the album, NME wrote: “This is a rich landscape: wholly modern and proudly queer. It’s an album of unabashed growth, as the artist gets in his feelings but never veers into self-pity. The masked cowboy is – paradoxically – baring his soul, unbridled and all the better for it. On ‘Bronco’, Peck wears his identity as matter-of-factly as the album’s retro-country razzle-dazzle. Allow him to sweep you away on horseback into the dusty sunset.”

Back in May, Peck released his EP ‘Stampede: Vol. 1 which featured a duet with Willie Nelson on a cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other,” which Nelson previously recorded as well as Elton John singing a duet of “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)” with Peck.

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