Orville Peck has revealed that he attempted suicide after canceling his ‘Bronco’ tour in June 2023, but the crisis was a ‘turning point’.
“I was a bad addict and was dealing with alcoholism,” the 38-year-old country star told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview published Friday.
“Then there was this spiraling moment where I went back to the hotel and tried to end my life,” he continued. “This was a big turning point for me and gave me a lot of realizations going forward. It was meant to happen.”
The ‘Midnight Ride’ hitmaker revealed he had intentionally overdosed two days before canceling his tour, citing his “current mental and physical health conditions”.
Peck told the outlet that he was in “one of the worst situations” of his life at the time, but said his next album, Mule, provided an outlet after a difficult year that included rehab and a breakup.
The first single from the album, “Too Little Too Late,” was released on Friday, and the album itself is scheduled for release on September 18th.
The singer announced the album, his fourth studio effort, in a social media post Thursday, sharing a portrait of himself wearing white boxers, a white T-shirt, a white cowboy hat, and his signature mask. Another image featured a black and white photo of a mule.
“This record chronicles the year I lost my way,” he captioned the announcement.
The “Dead of Night” singer also recalled his time in rehab, admitting to the magazine that he “didn’t want to be there” at the time.
“I thought it was a waste of time. I thought I was unique and okay,” he explains, adding that his new song “Rehab Blues” was a way to work through those feelings.
“So I decided to write the funniest song about this experience, because at the time I was like, ‘F— this. I want to quit,'” he said.
The GLAAD Media Awards Vito Russo Award winner continued, “There was no way to gloss over or coat the surface of what I was really trying to express in terms of concept.”
In a previous interview, Peck told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that he was “glad” to be sober after pausing his high-profile career.
“I got sober a few years ago,” he said in a 2025 interview.
“There’s been so many things I’ve been working on in my life over the last couple of years that I’m really happy with myself,” he said at the time.
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
