Orville Peck signs with Warner Records, announces Willie Nelson collaboration

Country artist Orville Peck is signed to Warner Records – and has already teased new music on the way.

“I was ready for a change,” says Peck Advertising sign. “I spent most of the last year making a lot of huge changes in all aspects of my life – my career was just one of them. I was ready for a clean start.”

Today (April 1), Peck announced his first release on the label: a collaboration with Willie Nelson. The pair will duet on a cover of “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fand of Each Other,” a song originally released in 1981 by Latin country artist Ned Sublette and covered by Nelson in 2006. Peck himself previously performed for SiriusXM and the 2023 Hollywood Bowl Show.

Jeff SosnowEVP of A&R at Warner—whom Peck calls “the GOAT”—says Advertising sign She met Peck a few years ago and was taken “not only by his musical acumen and knowledge, but also by his sense of purpose, ambition and curation of his own world, all of which extends from the music.”

“It's rare to come across an artist who checks so many necessary boxes on a path to success – great songs, unique voice, curation of overall aesthetic and visuals, ambition, communication and work ethic. With [what’s ahead]we have a real opportunity to strengthen and grow the base and get to Orville.”

In 2019, Peck released his debut album Pony on Sub Pop. The following year, in 2020, he signed with Columbia and released his major label debut EP Show Pony. Two more EPs followed in 2022 leading to his second full-length in August, Bronco.

“I was drawn to Warner because of their unique emphasis on their artists,” says Peck. “It might seem like it should be the norm, but more and more, the music industry is investing less and less in artists.” He says that in addition to Sosnow being a “genuine music fan,” he has “great respect” for the Warner CEO and co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck. “They've helped me feel so motivated,” she adds.

Warner is currently on a hot streak with its superstars and emerging talent. Next month (May 3), Dua Lipa will release her long-awaited album Radical Optimism, while Zach Bryan is currently playing sold-out arenas on The Quittin Time tour. Additionally, up-and-comers Teddy Swims and Benson Boone took the top two spots on the Hot 100 last week with “Lose Control” and “Beautiful Things,” respectively.

“The last five years have proven that Warner has the patience and ingenuity to work with real artists with vision and songs and grow with them,” says Sosnow. “The structure of the company has put us in a unique place where we really have a special sauce.”

Peck is signed to Brandon Creed's Good World Management, and managed by Creed along with me Danny Racine and Anika Capozza. The company says: “Warner has been around Orville's corner for many years, and when the time came to work together, they immediately jumped at the opportunity with incredible support and enthusiasm… We are so excited about this new partnership and couldn't be more excited to work with them.”

As Peck says, this next chapter can be defined by “evolution and exploration. I've honestly never felt so excited about my career before.”

Adds Sosnow: “The possibilities are truly limitless for Orville. He is a generational talent.”