Orville Peck's star has risen over the past few years, as he turned his focus from a punk career to country music — and started duetting with legendary acts like Lady Gaga and Shania Twain.
He might be performing to bigger crowds now, but Peck hasn't given up on one of his favorite tour snacks — a holdover from his low-budget early days.
In this episode of Herbal Tea & White Sofas, the singer explains his love of Pop-Tarts, and how they're a favorite for everyone in his tour camp -- even the naysayers.
"It's funny, everyone used to kind of drag me about it, but now I catch everyone eating it, all the time," Peck says. "People are always eating the Pop-Tarts."
As for Pop-Tart preparation? There's only one right way, he goes on to say. "Always either blueberry or strawberry. Those are my faves. Also, never toasted. Like, never in the toaster -- just always raw -- is I think the OG, good way to enjoy them," Peck continues.
Another mainstay of his tour life that's equally important — albeit less delicious — are roses, which are an important stage prop for when he performs his song, "Roses Are Falling." "Whenever we would play that song on tour, at the end of it, I would hand out a rose to an audience member," he explains.
That floral tradition has led to some unforgettable memories. "We were playing a couple nights at the 9:30 Club in D.C., and in the very back balcony, super far away, I noticed in one song there was a little girl up there. She was maybe about 10 years old, and she was singing every song, and I could see she was a super big fan," he recounts.
Of course, this girl had to be the recipient of the rose for that night — but getting it all the way up to her was tough, Peck says, and the whole crowd got invested in making sure she got her flower. "When she finally got it, the entire audience erupted in cheers. I could see people crying," he says. "It was such a wonderful moment."
Memories like that are at the heart of live performance for Peck, and he says he would never want to be the kind of entertainer who just barrels through his setlist onstage.
For more road memories from Peck, press play on the video above, and keep checking back for more episodes of Herbal Tea & White Sofas.