Orville Peck has delayed the release of his EP ‘Show Pony’ until July in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The 32-year-old masked singer announced two days ahead of the release of the EP, which was set to arrive on June 12, that he’s decided to hold off on dropping the collection by a month, because he wants to "put [his] focus" on using his voice and platform to support the fight for justice and equality after the death of George Floyd.
In a statement posted to Instagram, Orville said: "Hey gang, I know it’s only two days away but I’ve decided to push the release of my new EP ‘Show Pony’ to July.
"We’re undergoing a huge overdue worldwide transformation thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement and that is mainly what I want to put my focus on at the moment.
"The momentum is currently so strong, and it needs to keep going in order to dismantle the injustices of oppression, so if your voice hasn’t been heard yet just use it, or walk out and hear the protesters, and if you’re scared, tell them Orville sent you!"
The ‘Turn To Hate’ star also revealed that he has raised "close to $37,000" to support the black community, whilst he revealed he’s set to perform as part of the virtual Wynwood Pride LGBTQ+ event on June 13, in a hope of raising further funds.
Orville added: "Last week, thanks to the help of some lovely people we raised close to $37k, and this week I’ll be performing a little surprise from the EP at @wynwoodpride where we’re hoping to raise $100k.
"Lots of great performers, so if you guys like what you see, remember to tip- and y’all, even if you can’t tip, watching to actively educate yourself is also a win for everyone."
Meanwhile, the country singer recently hailed working with Shania Twain a "dream come true".
Orville and the ‘Still the One’ hitmaker teamed up on ‘Legends Never Die’, which features on ‘Show Pony’, and he was delighted to get to collaborate with the star because she has always been a "huge influence" on him.
He said: "Working with Shania was a dream come true. Her music made me feel empowered as a kid and was a huge influence on me."
Shania teased the collaboration in a cryptic tweet last week, which was later reposted by Orville.
She wrote: "Baby we’ve been up all night."
The ‘No Glory in the West’ hitmaker thinks the upcoming EP is a much more "confident" record than his debut album, ‘Pony’.
He said: "[‘Show Pony’] is a more confident perspective and allows me to share even more both lyrically and musically.
"Like all country albums, ‘Show Pony’ is a little collection of stories – some sad, some happy – and I am excited for people to hear it."