Chappell Roan Discovers Orville Peck’s Early Punk Band: "He Completely Transformed My Life"

 Published Dec 17, 2024

Before becoming Orville Peck, he was a punk drummer in Vancouver's underground scene — a fact that surprised his friend Chappell Roan during her interview with Nardwuar the Human Serviette.

During their conversation, Nard gifted Roan a vinyl compilation from the now-closed local venue the Emergency Room. Inside the LP’s booklet was a photo of the band Nü Sensae in its original duo lineup. In the foreground was singer-bassist Andrea Lukic; in the blurry background was a drummer with his head down. That’s when Nardwuar asked Roan if she recognized him.

She didn’t. Nardwuar then revealed the drummer’s identity, using Peck's real name (which we’ll leave out here, though the curious can find it in the video). Roan was clearly caught off guard. “Wait, shut up! What!?” she exclaimed. “That’s so sick — I didn’t know he played drums. That’s so cool. I was just talking to him.”

Roan shared how attending Peck's show was pivotal in shaping her own career as a performer. “I went to see him, and his show changed my whole life. It changed how I do shows. He performed at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, and he had local drag queens open for him. Meatball was one of them. I told myself from that show, 'If I ever perform my own headline shows, I’m going to have local drag queens open up for me too.' So he changed my life, and now we’re friends.”