Orville Peck and Willie Nelson Team Up for New Version of 'Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other'

Orville Peck and Wille Nelson are pretty sure some cowboys might be gay.

On April 5, the country artists teamed up for a new cover of Ned Sublette's 1981 song "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" for Peck's upcoming Stampede project.

Nelson, 90, first recorded a version of the famous tongue-in-cheek queer country anthem in 2006, while Peck, 36, previously covered the classic at the Red Headed Stranger's 90th birthday party in Los Angeles last April.

"Well, there's many a strange impulse out on the plains of West Texas / There's many a young boy who feels things he can't comprehend / And a small town don't like it when somebody falls between sexes / No, a small town don't like it when a cowboy has feelings for men," sings Peck on the new take on Sublette's original.

In an interview with Rolling Stone about the release, Peck revealed Nelson came up with the idea for the cover, inspired by the rise in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation throughout the United States.

"Willie kept talking about how the subject matter in this song was more important than ever," said the "No Glory in the West" singer. "He wanted it to have a new life with the two of us."

Peck also opened up about how it feels to receive Nelson's stamp of approval as an artist through the collaboration. "As an artist who has sometimes felt excluded from the country music industry, once Willie Nelson wants to work with you, there’s really nothing the country world can say after that," he explained.

The new cover of "Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other" dropped alongside a music video filmed in part at Nelson's Luck Ranch in Texas. In addition to footage of the two musicians strumming guitars and singing, the clip showcases several queer couples dancing together in a saloon.

Peck is currently gearing up to release Stampede, a collection of duets, at a to-be-announced date. He'll support the project with an accompanying tour, which kicks off in May and runs through October.