Australian punk (The Gooch Palms) turned country troubadour Leroy Macqueen has released the emotive ballad ‘Stepping Out’, in honour of Pride Month.

Possessing a rich baritone in the same range and with the same drama as Orville Peck and Elvis, Macqueen has been establishing himself on the local Australian alt-country scene with live shows and this official debut single.

A deeply personal tale of Macqueen’s journey towards coming out as non-binary/queer,‘Stepping Out’ reflects on their struggles with gender identity and the liberation that came with leaning into their true self. The track explores the time-old tale of running from demons and finding the light, providing comfort and hope for listeners, no matter their situation.

Macqueen shares, “This song is deeply personal for me. I was sitting on my couch at home with my guitar, trying to find the words to say – about the way I was feeling – so that’s what I literally sang, right there on the spot, and the rest came as I was playing it for the first time. For me, this song is about struggling to find myself. I’ve always struggled with my gender and avoided dealing with it. When I finally accepted I was non-binary/queer and felt ready to come out, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted and that I had finally stepped out into the light for the first time as who I really am. But that’s just my takeaway from the lyrics. It can really relate to any situation. Just taking that leap to do that thing that you’ve been running from.”