The 13-track collection
arrives on 18 September via Warner Records and acts as a chronological
map of a year that forced profound personal change for the South African-born songwriter. Peck’s
previous output often leaned into the mythology of his masked persona, but Mule
narrows the focus to a timeline of addiction, the difficult pursuit of
sobriety, and the slow process of rebuilding. No statement from
Peck accompanied the announcement; instead the arc is written into the track listing itself.
“Too
Little, Too Late” is on the record’s redemptive second half. It was produced by Jay
Joyce (who’s worked with Patty Griffin and Eric Church) and written with Dan Wilson (The Chicks, Laufey) and Steve Rusch (Beyoncé, Jessie Murph). Check out the video below.
“Prologue (Eulogy Of A
Man Turned Mule)”, on the other hand, sets a bleaker scene. Harris, Cyrus, and Russell
harmonise lyrics Peck wrote and arranged, effectively singing his own
eulogy over an eerie arrangement. In the accompanying video the
three women wear black veils and nurse uniforms, underlining the track as a beautifully grim entry point.
News
of the LP arrives days after Peck’s Grand Ole Opry debut and runs
parallel to the announcement of the Man Turned Mule Tour. The North
American run opens in Sacramento on 28 October
and wraps in Huntington, New York, on 22 November, with Nashville
songwriter Abbie Callahan in support. One dollar from every ticket sold
will go to The Trevor Project, the LGBTQ+ youth crisis intervention and
suicide prevention charity. Peck also headlines the Hollywood Bowl
before the tour begins.
The new material follows the guest-heavy 2024 duets record Stampede and November’s Appaloosa EP, featuring Willie Nelson and Kylie Minogue.
Mule artwork
Mule tracklist
“Prologue (Eulogy Of A Man Turned Mule)”
“Big Ol’ House”
“Already Gone”
“Rehab Blues”
“Ring The Bell”
“Blue Skies”
“The Fall”
“Cowboy Heart”
“The Breeze, The Grass, The Mourning Dove and Me”
“Run Out Of Road”
“Too Little, Too Late”
“War Of The Worlds”
“Mule”
