Orville Peck Only Wanted to Do Holiday Song 'Happy Trails' If It Sounded 'Lonely': 'I Don't Love Holiday Music' (Exclusive)

12/24/2024 09:00 AM

The country artist shared his unique holiday traditions with PEOPLE

Orville Peck is putting his own spin on holiday music.

Peck, 36, talked with PEOPLE at Little Big Town's Christmas at the Opry event in Nashville on Oct. 4 about recording his new Christmas song, "Happy Trails," despite never thinking he would make a holiday tune. "I don't love holiday music typically," he admitted.

The country singer added, "But I like a lot of the sad Christmas songs, and so I wanted to do a very classic sounding, almost like a Bing Crosby kind of lonely Christmas tune about being away from the person you love on Christmas."

In the melancholic tune, Peck wishes his loved one "happy trails ahead" as he mourns not being with them. The lyrics have a sense of hope as well, despite Peck emphasizing that "nothing's ever easy and love is hard to find." 

"Just finding it once makes it worth all the tries," he sings. 

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In his real life, Peck will be spending his holiday with someone special. He shared that he and his partner fly somewhere for vacation every year on Christmas day.  "It's kind of this new tradition to spend Christmas in the airport or on an airplane," he said. "It's actually quite magical in a weird way — so empty and super quiet. So it's quite cute."

This year, they are traveling to India. "I'm just so excited we're going all over the place," he said.

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Peck's childhood holidays also defy traditional holiday expectations. Growing up in South Africa meant that his childhood Christmases fell on "one of the hottest days of the year" during the summer. "We'd do presents and then we'd swim all day in the pool," he said. "So it's a little different than here in North America."

The performer, meanwhile, has had a big year. Not only was he honored with the GLAAD Vito Russo Award, in August, he also released his duet-based third studio album, Stampede, which features stars, like Willie Nelson and Elton John, who Peck said he has "idolized (his) whole life." He added, "I just couldn't believe they wanted to work with me as well."

Related: Orville Peck 'Refused' to Give Up Despite People 'Laughing in My Face' for Being Openly Gay Artist (Exclusive)

In a 2023 conversation with PEOPLE, Peck revealed what it was like starting in country music as an openly gay man. "It was a lot of people practically laughing in my face," he shared at the time. "But I just kept my chin up, and I refused to let anybody tell me that I couldn't do what I wanted. If someone tells me I can't do something, it makes me want to do it even more."

The country singer also revealed the meaning behind his signature fringe mask. Rather than being about cultivating a character, he said, the mask is about the theatricality of country. "I grew up loving country where there was an intersection between theatricality and very honest songwriting," he shared.

Peck added, "I was obsessed with the Lone Ranger, cowboys hiding their face, so that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to mix really vulnerable personal music, which is what I write, with this theatricality and performance."