The second half of Bobby’s conversation with Keith Urban gets a lot more personal. Bobby talks to Keith about how he and his wife Nicole Kidman seem like a normal despite each being huge stars. Keith confirms and debunks facts that you may have read about him online. Keith also talks about going to rehab for his struggles with addiction.
Listen to Part 1 with Keith Urban HERE
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/139-bobby-cast-27722337/episode/327-keith-urban-part-1-90325340/
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
When you became Keith haven'tone rolled through some number one
here two thousand and one, your first number one, but
for the grace of God's here a little bit of
is I again after the years of struggle on a
label to have a hit? Did it feel like a
(00:26):
relief or did it feel like this is amazing because
there's a difference. Was it like, oh my god, thank you?
Was it like whoa, That's what I'm talking about only above?
It was surreal to have a number one song in
America was just crazy. Remember that day like it was yesterday. Really,
(00:47):
oh my god, twenty years ago, you still remember it
like that your first Yeah, I remember exactly the house
I was at, what I was doing? Who told me everything?
Like detail? Because it was too surreal. I was like
number one, like the number one most played song and
country radio in America? Truly? Really did your life change
after that? After you had a number one? Okay, since
(01:09):
you could say it, um, I felt like, okay, now
we got a chance to get some more music going.
And the next single off to that, I think was
Where the Black Top Bands, which is weird because it peaked.
I was looking at numbers. It wasn't a number one,
But that, to me is one of the songs I
think of when I think of you and your catalog
(01:30):
is where the black Top ends. It wasn't even number one,
which shows you not all number ones or career songs,
and not all career songs are number one songs. Even
in two thousand one two thou two, did that song
feel big like a number one song where the black
Top ends? I can't remember that that when you can't
remember now, I can't remember that. I mean, I remember
(01:51):
making that a whole album with Matt Rawlings, and it
was the first time where I was in a studio
and having gone through all of the famous producers and
realizing none of it works for me. It just I
don't know what I'm gonna do. Um. There was a
guy running Capital Records at the time called Pat Quigley,
and he was the president. And I used every proper
(02:13):
famous producer and none of it was working. And I
went into Patt and I said, can I just I
had just done a session with Matt Rowlings for somebody else.
The two of us were playing on it, and I
clicked with him and I really liked him a light,
and I said, could I just go and record some
songs with this guy, because I think he can put
a good band together and we can just make a
record that sounds good. And he went, yeah, whatever. It
(02:35):
was very much that case of like go do whatever
you want to do. We're not that interest. You could
tell was whatever it's going to. So we went and
cut up the Grace God and like four or five songs,
and I took him in and played for him and
he goes, that sounds good. Just finished the record out.
It was no big deal. And we handed in the
record and it had its a love thing and I
want to be her everything. All the singles that came
(02:56):
out Grace God, Blacktop, all that stuff, um and put
out love It's a love Thing, and I think I
went to the number eighteen or something like, no, it's okay,
pretty good. They put out another song, I want to
Be Everything, and I got to top five or close
to it, and it wasn't It was okay. Everything was okay.
And then the label really focused on me and they
(03:17):
put out Grace a God and it did that and
I could feel everything changed after that. Whenever somebody like
you comes out two thousand two, here's a little clip
do you remember this one is vivid at your second
number one, you do everything about it. Recording it first time,
(03:40):
I'd work with Dan half um working out at sound
kitchen at Franklin and the putting them, putting a band
together and the set, the whole session. I remember it
vividly because it got magical. Does a guy like Dan
half challenge you? So? Uh. I was going to do
the next record on my own um Golden Road, and
(04:02):
I had already done six six sides of that record,
including who were who were wanting me? I put the
band together, I chose the studio, I chose the engineer.
I put it all together. And then someone said, you know,
you should try and work with Dan Half and I went, no,
I don't want to work with him because and they went, well,
he's a guitar player. I mean, I'm so not going
to work with the guitar player who's gonna tell me
what to play, you know. I don't want that. I've
(04:24):
been down this road before. And they're like, we'll just
give it a shot, you know. And I met with Dan,
and this is a true story, and I was really
a compliment to Dan. I met with Dan. I said, Okay,
I've got this one song it's called Somebody Like You
that that'd be a good one for us to start on.
And I'd already been in the studio for two weeks
with this band. We'd cut half the record, it's already done.
(04:47):
And Dan says, Okay, this song feels great. Um, I
think we should use this drummer. And I got already
got the drummer. Well, I think we should use this space.
But I got the whole band, Dan, I got the
whole band, all right. Well, I liked work at this studio,
I said, I'm already at the studio. We're gonna be
at sound kitchen. Okay, Well, the engineer I like to
use is already got. The engineer's name is Justin Ebank.
(05:07):
And he goes, what do I do? When I go,
you just show up. That's all you're gonna do. Show
up because I want to see what you do. I'm
sick of these producers that say their producer, but really
they have great engineer, great players, they don't do anything.
I saw it again and again and again, and I'm like,
just show up. What the hell can you possibly bring
to this session? I want to see? And he walked
(05:30):
into that session. I've been with this band for two weeks.
He walks in and I literally could feel all the
musicianship go up a whole of the level just with
him being in the room. He sat in the room,
the band's playing a bit of Somebody Like You, and
he goes, hey, Chris, just change that snare a little
bit there. Okay, yep, leave that basse part out right there,
and you play that bit over there, and he I
(05:50):
watched him arrange this thing and the whole track is
to elevate, and I like, well, damn, this guy is
the real deal. He's so good. When did the town
start to treat you differently? Tuesday? Um, I was already
getting support from the town very early on. I think
(06:12):
because of all those writing sessions, you know, and when
you write with people where it gets out whether you
can really sing, really play, whether you know about country music,
if you're legit or just some poser really so, I
think those sort of guitar pool sessions of people's houses
going to the Bluebird, people knew I was for real.
(06:32):
I was watching some of your performance with her. I
guess all of it for Tina Turner for the Rock
and Hall of Fame? Um, how did how do you do?
How do you get called in to do that? I
haven't seen any of that yet? You haven't, Um, what
do you mean you haven't seen it? You don't watch?
Do you watch your stuff? Well? I haven't seen that generally?
Will you go and watch your stuff? It depends. Are
(06:53):
you one of the guys that after a live show
you want to go on criticket? I probably should do
it more than I do. Yeah, it's always better when
I get in there and care. How How does a
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame invite come with Tina
for Tina Turner? Uh? Because Brian Adams couldn't make it,
And they just called me out and they go, would
(07:15):
you come and fill in for Brian? Day before the Yeah,
it was it was Thursday and Nick and I will
go into the Bahamas. And my manager calls me and
he goes, hey, can you come fill in for Brian?
And the bla bla blah plan and I'm like, you
will go into the Bahamas on Friday. He's like, you
didn't hear what I said? And I was like, no,
I heard you. We're heading off to the Bahamas and
(07:36):
Nix in the car and Nicks like, oh, I think
we should do that. That sounds fun. But in my
I think in my head, I'm like, this sounds overwhelming.
I've got to learn a song in record time, a
song I've never played. It's not really my kind of song.
It's not my vocal range, it's not in my key.
I'm so in over my head, you know, I was terrified.
You still get terrified, Yeah, wil Dear, Yeah, do you
(08:00):
well that did anything musically would intimidate you? Yeah, to
be thrown into something that's not really my zone, especially
in that place. I'm like maybe standing up on stage
in front of my Cartney and the food fighters and
they're all you know, I pictured them are like arms crossed,
like okay, what do you do? What's your thing? And
I'm like, well, it's not this, It's not this is
(08:22):
not it. So I could picture in my head when
it comes to collaborations as far as your career is concerned,
what do you look back at and go, Man, that
one right there, we nailed it. You and who collaboration
and so many I mean John doing Crossroads with John Mayer.
(08:42):
To this day, I just loved that whole experience with
him playing I learned a lot from him. Really, you
learn from him? Yeah? Yeah, what do you learn from
John Mayre? Um to make the song your own? You know,
you gotta remember I still came from cover band land,
which John did not, And so John approaches it as
a pure artist and makes this song on his own.
(09:04):
Because I remember saying him, now, the first didn't go
like that, and he's like, yeah, but that's how I'm
gonna sing it right on? Of course? Yeah. Is there
a gamesmanship when you have two people that are so again,
I'll just talk about the instrument for a second, so
to be old, they're so proficient at their instrument. Are
you guys? Do you feel each other out at first?
Are you like, is he really as good as I've heard?
(09:25):
Or is it you know, because you've you've heard for yourself,
like on a record or on YouTube and not John specifically,
but anyone, you know when you kind of cross path
because I had room for squares and we played that
record to death on that too a us um so
as I was a fan right from the beginning. Um,
I love the conversation, the musical conversation that happens, And
(09:46):
the most important thing for me is spontaneity is just
you know, you can rehearse, yeah yeah, yeah, but being
in the moment and having that musical conversation with each other.
This is everything. You ever meet someone you like, man,
it's gonna be awesome, and you're like, it's not really
r really as good as that's a hot or as
as you know. I don't want you to say. Some
people don't have a collaborative heart. That's what it is.
They don't have a collaborative heart for whatever reason. They
(10:09):
just don't um collaborate that kind of They have that
thing of well, this is what I do, so you
do your thing, I'll do my thing, and I'm like, well,
let's do our thing. That's what I'm here for. On
the opposite side of that, whoever you collaborated with it,
you're like, oh, I didn't expect it to be as
warm and as a just a friendly collaboration, but holy crap,
(10:29):
we're in We're in it and it's rocking pink. I
think was that when we did one too many? Why
Why do you think you guys hit it off? Um?
I think our voices go together really well, and I
hope they would, but you never know until you hear it.
But she was just unbelievably um giving with that whole project,
(10:50):
you know, for a song that she didn't write, to
be giving so much of her time and her effort
to the too. You know, we shot a video as well,
and then we shot footage which we can use in concerts,
so we have her projected on the screening concert. That's old,
time consuming and she was just amazing. Is it an
issue whenever you're with an artist like that, because they
also have their own music and their own singles and calendars,
(11:12):
and when they want to put out their own to
get pink on a song, do you go, Okay, well
maybe we can release to the single, maybe not, depending
on what your schedule is, right, I mean? Is that something?
Is that an issue that you deal with other artists?
Is something you have to consider? Yeah, for sure, because
sometimes it's at the time he's not gonna work. You know. Yeah,
it's great, the single sounds really great, but we're not
going to release it at the right time. I was
(11:40):
reading on the internet that you bowl? Are you some
of the stuff I didn't know and could be crap?
Are you a bowler? Yeah? Are you a good bowler?
I'm Okay, how do I not know that? We've never
talked about it or been bowling? True? But where do
where do you? Where do you bowl? I haven't bowled
in a long time. It's just one of those things
that I happened to be not bad at, sort of
(12:01):
out of the gate. Is that I hand coordination that
guitar players have. You know your highest game is what
you call it a game? Yeah? No, I don't know.
Um uh, you know to have an average Yeah, it's
not grabbing me. Three hundreds of perfect game right, definitely
could crack no, but definitely could crack two. You play pool, Yeah,
(12:22):
you go to that. I think this mandatory when you'
from Australia, you've got to play pool? Is that a thing?
Very much like all the pubs and they all had
pool tables? Say sign of a misspent youth. We'll think
about that. Though. You're you're good at bowling, you're good
at pool. I mean is that you're obviously good at guitar?
Which one made you good at which because you do
(12:43):
have the hand eye coordination there. It's right, it's not
a coincidence. All those are very hand eye coordinated. Do
you think being a good guitar player helps you be
a good bowler. I suck at base but basketball I
cannot get that thing in the hoop. So that goes
that theory. You sure or false? You were once a
road guitarist for a bit for Brooks and Dune. No,
never one of the many things on Wikipedia. It's not true.
(13:04):
I didn't think the bowling was true. I'll be honest
with you to be false. So where did that story
come from? Do you know? Yeah, we toured with Brooks
and Done in two thousand and one and I came
out and played one song with them as a guitarist,
and I think that then from then on, yeah, I
was like the guy in the band. Well, what happened
(13:27):
was we were going to pull a prank on them,
and they had a guitar player in the band, Charlie.
I'vegotten his last name, Charlie. And he had his hat down,
really had a wore hat worked down super low, had
this like leopard print shirt and everything. And during the
tourists thinking I could probably masqueraders. I could probably pretend
to be him and the boys wouldn't even know. And
(13:48):
so during one of the shows, Charlie slipped out the
back while he was playing, I already had the same
clothes on, slipped right out and reclaimed his spot on
the stage and played an entire song, and then in
the middle of the when the solo happened, Kicks goes,
Charlie and I ran down the front was shredding right
in between kicks and running, and it took a bait
(14:10):
for them to realize I wasn't, but they did realize.
So I think that was where this room and got started.
What's like a Tuesday at your house? Like? And I
asked that because you and your wife exclusively are superstars.
When you're together, I feel like you're kind of normal.
It's it's it's a weird situation. Like when I see
(14:34):
you two, if we're an event or something, I feel
like as a couple, you're quite approachable. Individually, it's different
because I feel like I know you and I could
just come up to you. But individually I would say
you're superstar Keith Urban and she is superstar Nicole Kidman.
But together it's almost like a normal husband and wife.
(14:54):
And I have not seen that vibe with any other couple.
Usually it's different. It's like they're much more, they're much
less approachable together because there's so much more power there.
But it feels like you're a normal, normal married couple
at home. Is that true? You'd be doing a house
it's like super Nourmal. I saw her tell you once
(15:14):
that she was gonna stop and get some milk, and
I was like, you do that? What do you mean
you're gonna get milk? Shouldn't someone be flying that in
and like flying the cow in the rock and roll?
And how how how do you guys maintain what do
you focus on to try to have normalcy in a
life that is abnormal? I mean, look love, genuine love
(15:39):
and genuine gratitude for what we get to do. Nick
has it. I have it, and I think it's we
were both raised in a similar thing to Australia's. Really
Australia has a thing called a tall poppy syndrome. Every
as he knows about this, and it's if you get
too big in the in the South, they say when
you get above your raisin, right, they cut you down.
(15:59):
You get cut down. The poppy seed plan is another one.
The tall poppy gets So that's it. So it's the
it's the tall poppy syndrome where you you don't last
very long. If you're strutting around with this crazy ego
in Australia, you could cut down so fast, so you
just are always down to earth. You read the down
to earth, you're out of work. It's one of the two,
and it's it's put us in a really good place
(16:21):
to have a good life because of it. What are
you grateful for with her as a person? How does
she make you better? I'm sure? And I asked this
from a personal, just personal place, because I've never been married.
I've never I've never even told anyone I hadn't either,
right like, I never there was no I didn't know
how to love until now Because I think you know
you're talking about the trauma from your I struggle with
(16:42):
a lot of that trauma until now and still am,
but have found someone. But what is it about her
as a human that you appreciate so much that brings
a different side of you out that hadn't been exposed yet? Um?
She really loves, genuinely loves and has real empathy, compassion,
(17:03):
caring and love like I've never never experienced before. Do
you ever watch her act and go, holy crap, that's
so good? Or do you see it all the time
where you just expected to be great. She's so good
and I don't know anything about acting. Sometimes people say
the bad actor. I'm like, I'll all looks the same
to me. However, I was watching on Hulu with Nine
(17:26):
Strangers the whole thing she's she's so good in that
that you then go, okay, that's good acting. Like and
she is nailing these series. Is if she's in a series,
I'll watch it. It's just to that point now where
if your wife is in a series, even if I
don't know what it's about, the history of poop, I'm
(17:46):
going to I'm going to watch it because she has
showed that she's awesome in these things. Do you do
you talk about projects with her? Does she talk about
projects with you and them together and like should we
do this? Yeah? Yeah, because we have to talk about
scheduling and where it is and how's this going to work?
And then of course a lot of the times reading
scripts with her, you know, this is the being the
Riccardo's which is the Lasilla Ball film that's coming out.
(18:08):
Aaron Sulkin wrote most amazing scripts, and just getting to
read these scripts is something that is it's surreal you
read with her sometimes? Yeah, do you ever want to
do that? Especially? No, I have zero interest in acting
like none zero. Does she ever hear a song of
yours and go? Yeah? She doesn't have to. I can
(18:30):
tell you can. Here's the thing that's more important, and
you may be able to relate to this. I've realized
that whoever I play a song for, and I've had
you at the house and i've played you things before,
what how you react that song tells me a lot
about the song, But what tells me more is how
I feel planet for you. I've learned so much about
(18:51):
how I feel about playing somebody a song, whether it's
you or whether it's Nick. Because you know, she may
go I love that, and inside I'm thinking I did
until I play eat it, and I'm not feeling so
good about it now. So I want to figure out
what's going on. What is your relationship with singles, EPs, albums?
Because it's a new land out there, it's a tension.
(19:12):
Spans are different. Sorry what exactly, but it is getting
that way right? Yeah? So how are you feeling these
days about twelve fourteen track albums? Why are do you
see you changing? How you're just you know, doing Keith
Urban distribution of music. I I still like to think
it comes down to quality, the quality of something because
people go, oh, people want shorter, the shorter that, And
(19:34):
I'm like, only because a lot of what's out there
it's just not great. It's okay, it's not great, and
it's not great because it's having to be churned out
at such a fast right now, because it's content content,
content content quick. You have it with your show, and
you you're trying to maintain a level of excellence with
this often unrealistic demand for the amount of it. You're
trying to walk a line. How can I give you
(19:56):
the best most exactly? That's exactly it? And I miss
a lot because sometimes I do most and sometimes I
do best, but I often don't get it right at
the same time. And I think we're in this a
lot in our society right now. The speed of everything
and the and the demand for more and more and
more and more quality takes time. Not always, but most
(20:17):
of the time it takes. It takes a beat. Do
you feel pressure from at this stage of your career
labels managers like, hey, let's go, we need another something
from you, or are you now, like guys, you'll get
it when you get it. Yeah, I've never felt that.
I've never felt I will say my record company Capital Record,
(20:40):
So I've been with a long time. I've never ever
felt anything but support for for what I do. They've
never given me like dragging the record out of my hand,
demanding this song with that song. Ever, they've been amazingly supportive.
Do you need a teleprompter ever? For lyrics? You've got
so many number one songs? Do you ever need a
reminder of words? Do you have to refresh or are
(21:02):
you just there? Yeah, refresh it if it's gonna be
an old song. But it's I have a sick memory
for lyrics of songs. It's crazy you bring up I
I brought it up. But we talked about it with
Ronnie Donn, who I've oddly become friends with and we're
opposite in many ways, but we were. We were texting
last night like that's he's there's a big picture when
you walked into this guest house. He sent over to
(21:23):
the house of like a bowl or something that was
laying on the counter. But Ronnie has and I don't
think you would care if I shared this. He has
someone in his ear the whole time on a microphone
side stage, telling him every lyric every song. He's had
it for a long time. He's just like, I don't
want to forget, and I don't have I don't have
a good memory. So they're like out in the country,
out in the country. I mean they're right in there.
(21:43):
That's excellent. I mean voice of an angel, but holy crap,
we can't remember word for the guy in the ear
and it's and it's a yeah, very much so. But
you have it all there for the most part. Boy,
he'd want to be on good terms of that guy,
wouldn't he. It's like, ron Ronnie, don't you run roun Burgundy?
You could get Burgundy, san Diego real quick prompt there,
(22:07):
Let's talk about the new single that I do want
to get back to the tour. But the current single
is wild Hearts. Let me play a little bit of
this for you. I kind of have a relationship with
(22:32):
every songwriter on this song, which is pretty cool. Eric
Passley is a dear friend of mine. Um Jen Wayne
Same she's in now, she's in a group herself away June. There.
It is Brad Turcy from Old Dominion, how does this
room come together? Or was it a room that came together?
It didn't come together. I got sent this song as
(22:52):
a finished song, two verses, chorus done, and uh. I
got pitched the song from Roxy King and I heard
it and I was like, mmmmm, I don't know. It's
just I like the chorus don't really the rest of
us not pulling me in. And so I passed on
(23:13):
the song. And then about two weeks later, I woke
up one morning singing this chorus in my head and
I'm like, what is That's that wild Hurt Songs really
special chorus. I listened to the song again and I went, man,
that chorus is so freaking good. But the verses don't
say anything to me. And so I called the writers
and I said would I said it, would you mind
(23:35):
if I rewrote the verses just to make it more
personal because it's such a personal song. It's you know,
following your dreams, and like, well what about what? You know?
What was my dream journey from Australia to hear And
they sent me the track without anything in the verses,
and I just rewrote the verses. That's pretty cool. One
day we go yes and I said to them. I said,
(23:57):
I'm a writer, so I get this first of all,
and I'm not one of these guys. It's going to
be like I added the word the give me fift
I've never been that guy. Um, And I said, you
guys have written a top song. It's top to bottom.
It's finished, right. If you can pitch it and someone
wants to cut it as is, please do that. I'm
not asking to dismantle your song if someone else wants
to record it, but if you are okay and I
(24:19):
can rewrite these verses and they come up the way
I think they will, I'm definitely recording this song. And
God bless him, they let me do that. The North
American Tour The Speed of Now World War Two. Uh,
the tickets are on so now Keith urban dot com,
how long do you think you have another ten years
of doing these really high energy shows in you? I
don't even think about that. I mean just the next year,
(24:41):
the next show. I mean, I'm injured. My my whole
body is still injured from my nat g O show.
Yeah bet so. Now I think about things in terms
like could I do another three seasons of that show?
And I can't? I now understand. I can't mash herrist,
her shoulder heart Everything tour is not that show, but
your tour. I'm telling you things that yours. You're mad man.
(25:02):
Your tour is again, is the most energetic show I've
ever seen from a superstar who doesn't have to be
that energetic because he's already a superstar. And I mean
that the most complimentary way. You could go out and
just put on a solid show and be Keith Urban
and people will be blown away, but you don't. Your
hair is on fire for no other reason than you
live that your art is your hair being on fire
(25:22):
during a show. Yeah, yeah, well I only know one
volume to get out there and play at there, isn't
I mean, if it's real passion and the audience knows it,
they're like, that's legit. That's a guy surfing on the
wave of not thinking about it, but it's really happening
and I can feel it. It's it's true. It's in
the moment. Do you lose yourself in shows? Definitely? Yeah,
(25:43):
it's it's a perfect balance of being completely present and
completely lost in the moment all simultaneously. Do you ever,
Sometimes I'll drive and I'll get somewhere I'll be like,
holy crap, I don't know how I got here, Like
subconscious has completely taken over. And then I feel unsafe
and I'm like, you're telling me people are driving, and
then I start thinking about other gets. You are doing
what I did, not thinking and driving places. But does
that ever happen in the show where you're three songs
(26:04):
later and you're like, dear god, how does that even
get here? No? No? I mean maybe no, not really,
not even a moment. I was thinking about a moment
and a song. Um no, because I don't know. I'm
just super present, but I'm also thinking. I'm taking a
multi multiprocessing right, which I think you do it extremely
(26:25):
well on your show. You're listening to me, you're checking
that out, you're thinking about other things, you're probably thinking
about some other things you gotta do, and it's all
multi processing all at once, and you totally here as well.
I feel like I'm completely present, but I think I'm
good at being present will while also delegating my mind
(26:46):
to do other things. The same good way to put it, Yeah,
what do you say on that microphone when you walk
over that nobody hears? You know, the microphone. We're talking
to it, all, right, do you have one of those?
What do you? What do you When you walk back,
it's four songs in and only your guys on stage
you can hear you. Because for those that don't know
some of my friends that have them, call them. We'll
call it a b mike right to the word rich,
(27:07):
Like we're talking to the rich Mike. If you're going
to that microphone, what are you saying in the middle
of a show? Why would it might be called that?
But I have no idea, but that's what that's the
only thing I know it has. Right, Oh, that's weird.
I've never heard that expression. Oh you haven't. No, I
never heard that. Well I don't say it, but that's crazy.
So we stole it from Kenny Chesney when I was
on two with him and I saw he had one,
(27:27):
and I'm like, well, that's perfect because everyone's got in
ears and you can actually talk to everyone. Are going
to get out over the top. You're not at all
not that, Mike. What do you say? Is it like, hey, guys,
we're gonna switch songs or we're gonna play in a
different or on my throat? Her? Like what it could
be something to my guitar tech, could be something to
the monitor guy, could be something to the band. It
(27:48):
could be something to security. It could just be really
like you see something out there. For sure, security has
ears in and they can hear that. I know that
it's gonna get to where it's going to get to.
If maybe not directly, someone will really the message. But yeah,
if I feel like there's just heavy handed security at
a place, not letting people have fun or anything like that,
make sure it gets taken care of. Definitely, of all
(28:16):
the things that you do. As we wrap this up,
one of my favorites is when you and I haven't
seen it in a while because you haven't been on
the road as normal. No one has right when you
do those videos with the police escort behind you and
you're like, thank you guys. Great, Like I love the
blue light video at the end of the show. Rights
(28:37):
so much so that there have been a couple of
times where, you know, we did a we've done a
couple of shows. We did a festival and I throw
a festival in Texas and we had like four or
five thousand people and we had to get out and
I was like, hey, I'm gonna get that blue light
like either, because I gotta get that shot. So you're
inspiring me in ways you had no idea. It's much
better having in front of you than behind you. Let
me tell you, I would agree with. I've spent way
(28:57):
more years with the opposite. So this is nice, Mike.
Anything that I have missed that we need to address
with Keith before he leaves, I think that's everything. It's
a daylight savings time just about so it's getting darker
now and so it feels like it's midnight. A little tired,
kind of run through it here. Anything you'd like to say, Read,
you're a massive Keith fan. Read is my video guy.
He's been looking for He's been looking forward to this
whole life. So Read, this is your one shot with Keith.
(29:21):
Is there anything take a deep breath, all right that
you'd like to ask Keith? Alright, Keith, I don't know.
All I'm thinking about is uh. When I first started
learning guitar, my dad got me your Golden Road DVD
that had all the music videos on it, and I
would stand in front of the TV and I'll try
(29:41):
to mimic and try to learn learn the songs and
it was god awful. But I remember that moment. And
then I got the pleasure of going to your show.
I think it was in Dallas like three no, maybe
like two years ago, and my girlfriend got me the
tickets and and of course you're out in the crowd
running around and you came up to us, and I
(30:02):
can just remember my my girlfriend just going Keith, Keith.
But that was probably me actually, but yeah, so those
are just the moments that came up to me. But
I was a huge fan. Man, Thank you so much.
How's the plan coming along? Oh it's it's good. Yeah,
you're still playing, yeah, sir. Yeah, I love songwriting. Uh.
(30:24):
I don't do a lot of playing shows or anything,
but um I love to produce my own music as
well and and and write songs. So right, yes sir, Yeah,
there we have an emotional emotional moment here. Yeah, I'll
mention this before you go to I as we were
walking out of our wedding, we played God Whispered your Name.
The writers or one of the writers saw me out.
(30:47):
I was getting some ice cream with Caitlin and he
was like, you guys played go when God whispered your
name at your wedding? And I was like, first time
I keeps sing that song, I was like, that's it,
Like I felt that's that's one of those rare songs
in my life where I was like because when I
heard it the first time, I thought, if I can
ever have this in my life, that's it. And then
when I met my wife, now, I went, this is
(31:07):
that song like it was the songwriting, it was the delivery,
it was the texture, all of those things together in
that song. I remember thinking, man, if I ever find
this because I heard a song before I knew her,
but when I met her and I was like, oh,
this is when God whispered your name. Wow. And it's
one of those few moments where a song is you're
(31:28):
super romantic, punches you in the gut. Yeah, okay, maybe
you got you got married and you love that kind
of song and yeah yeah, Dan and Should played yes
and they The funny part about that was my wife
and Abby Smires are really close friends. Dan and I
(31:49):
have been buddies for a long time, and I was like, hey,
look you get because they're like, whatever you want, we'll play.
Like Dan was like, well you didn't even ask us,
Like we'll play whatever you want and I think they
expected us to pick one of their songs because they
have a hundred love songs the best, but I didn't.
I picked the Beach Boys song, pick Forever I don't know,
(32:10):
and everyone I said, make you laugh, I talk forever Um.
Dennis Wilson wrote it. I didn't know that song. Jesse
and the Rippers later did it on Full House. Dennis
Wilson wrote it and the drummer well, and they crushed
it and for and they did, so they put it
on they give us the file. They recorded it as
well as a wedding gift ties and gave it to us.
(32:30):
It was awesome, amazing, And what was cool was even
Ronnie was like, hey, you don't want anything for your wedding,
Like I can't get you anything. What do you mean
to sing? And I was like, that's the greatest gift ever.
So He's saying, neon Moon, it was awesome. Goodness is awesome.
How did he remember the words? I worried too. I said,
do we need to get that mike for you over
on the side. We didn't. He knew the words though,
(32:51):
at the still phone of his ear the whole time.
All right, get tickets are on sale today Keith Urban,
The Speed of Now World Towar two. They're up, go
see him. This podcast. This show has heard in all
kinds of countries, so obviously North America, but all over
the world. UM, I don't know how you do it.
I don't know how you do it. Maintain as you.
I love what I do. I love what I get
to do. And truly it's a game. You know. People go, oh,
(33:13):
it's a gift if you do it, really is. And
I'll finish with this because I think it's what is.
What it's all about is I went born with the
addictive gene. I went to three rehabs in the span
of three years, in the span of eight years, the
first three, second one was two thousand and three, and
(33:33):
my third one was two thousand and six. And it
took what it took for me to finally get sober um.
And that journey brought the deepest, deepest level of gratitude
for what I get to do that I don't know
if I ever would have gotten that gratitude level without
that journey. I think when you come close to losing
(33:54):
all of that and then it gets given back to
you through grace, in my case, getting back to me,
I was like, I'm never going to take this for
granted ever Again. Does it make you a more giving
person going through because for me, I have found that
growing up a poverty kid and someone who's been through
those struggles with addiction secondary that affects me and how
(34:17):
I treat other people. Do you think you were two
different people before and after your final run, your your
final time and rehab? Very much? Yeah, and yes, I
separate the person from the addiction. You are known as
one of the nicer guys in town, just generally by
(34:37):
people like Keith urban Is the nicest guy. Were you
known early in your career? Is that guy? Were you
always just completely dialed into the human aspect of people,
because now you are and you're known for that. I
like people and I like collaborating. I love Yeah, I
love people. I've always loved people. You've always been a
nice guy. I've always I think I've always been um
(34:58):
bridge builder. I'm a ridge builder. I'm an entertainer. You know.
I think I was the that was the it was
the peace person. You know, if you have an identity
in your home, I was the bridge building between my
brother and my father, always trying to kill each other.
I was like, interesting, I'm gonna I'm gonna be the
one that keeps the peace here. And I think I've
(35:18):
carried that into my life. All Right, Go to a show,
listen to the music. Keith Urban, Thank you always good
to talk. Good to talk to you too. There he
is Keith Urban. Everybody, It's awesome.
When you became Keith haven'tone rolled through some number one
here two thousand and one, your first number one, but
for the grace of God's here a little bit of
is I again after the years of struggle on a
label to have a hit? Did it feel like a
(00:26):
relief or did it feel like this is amazing because
there's a difference. Was it like, oh my god, thank you?
Was it like whoa, That's what I'm talking about only above?
It was surreal to have a number one song in
America was just crazy. Remember that day like it was yesterday. Really,
(00:47):
oh my god, twenty years ago, you still remember it
like that your first Yeah, I remember exactly the house
I was at, what I was doing? Who told me everything?
Like detail? Because it was too surreal. I was like
number one, like the number one most played song and
country radio in America? Truly? Really did your life change
after that? After you had a number one? Okay, since
(01:09):
you could say it, um, I felt like, okay, now
we got a chance to get some more music going.
And the next single off to that, I think was
Where the Black Top Bands, which is weird because it peaked.
I was looking at numbers. It wasn't a number one,
But that, to me is one of the songs I
think of when I think of you and your catalog
(01:30):
is where the black Top ends. It wasn't even number one,
which shows you not all number ones or career songs,
and not all career songs are number one songs. Even
in two thousand one two thou two, did that song
feel big like a number one song where the black
Top ends? I can't remember that that when you can't
remember now, I can't remember that. I mean, I remember
(01:51):
making that a whole album with Matt Rawlings, and it
was the first time where I was in a studio
and having gone through all of the famous producers and
realizing none of it works for me. It just I
don't know what I'm gonna do. Um. There was a
guy running Capital Records at the time called Pat Quigley,
and he was the president. And I used every proper
(02:13):
famous producer and none of it was working. And I
went into Patt and I said, can I just I
had just done a session with Matt Rowlings for somebody else.
The two of us were playing on it, and I
clicked with him and I really liked him a light,
and I said, could I just go and record some
songs with this guy, because I think he can put
a good band together and we can just make a
record that sounds good. And he went, yeah, whatever. It
(02:35):
was very much that case of like go do whatever
you want to do. We're not that interest. You could
tell was whatever it's going to. So we went and
cut up the Grace God and like four or five songs,
and I took him in and played for him and
he goes, that sounds good. Just finished the record out.
It was no big deal. And we handed in the
record and it had its a love thing and I
want to be her everything. All the singles that came
(02:56):
out Grace God, Blacktop, all that stuff, um and put
out love It's a love Thing, and I think I
went to the number eighteen or something like, no, it's okay,
pretty good. They put out another song, I want to
Be Everything, and I got to top five or close
to it, and it wasn't It was okay. Everything was okay.
And then the label really focused on me and they
(03:17):
put out Grace a God and it did that and
I could feel everything changed after that. Whenever somebody like
you comes out two thousand two, here's a little clip
do you remember this one is vivid at your second
number one, you do everything about it. Recording it first time,
(03:40):
I'd work with Dan half um working out at sound
kitchen at Franklin and the putting them, putting a band
together and the set, the whole session. I remember it
vividly because it got magical. Does a guy like Dan
half challenge you? So? Uh. I was going to do
the next record on my own um Golden Road, and
(04:02):
I had already done six six sides of that record,
including who were who were wanting me? I put the
band together, I chose the studio, I chose the engineer.
I put it all together. And then someone said, you know,
you should try and work with Dan Half and I went, no,
I don't want to work with him because and they went, well,
he's a guitar player. I mean, I'm so not going
to work with the guitar player who's gonna tell me
what to play, you know. I don't want that. I've
(04:24):
been down this road before. And they're like, we'll just
give it a shot, you know. And I met with Dan,
and this is a true story, and I was really
a compliment to Dan. I met with Dan. I said, Okay,
I've got this one song it's called Somebody Like You
that that'd be a good one for us to start on.
And I'd already been in the studio for two weeks
with this band. We'd cut half the record, it's already done.
(04:47):
And Dan says, Okay, this song feels great. Um, I
think we should use this drummer. And I got already
got the drummer. Well, I think we should use this space.
But I got the whole band, Dan, I got the
whole band, all right. Well, I liked work at this studio,
I said, I'm already at the studio. We're gonna be
at sound kitchen. Okay, Well, the engineer I like to
use is already got. The engineer's name is Justin Ebank.
(05:07):
And he goes, what do I do? When I go,
you just show up. That's all you're gonna do. Show
up because I want to see what you do. I'm
sick of these producers that say their producer, but really
they have great engineer, great players, they don't do anything.
I saw it again and again and again, and I'm like,
just show up. What the hell can you possibly bring
to this session? I want to see? And he walked
(05:30):
into that session. I've been with this band for two weeks.
He walks in and I literally could feel all the
musicianship go up a whole of the level just with
him being in the room. He sat in the room,
the band's playing a bit of Somebody Like You, and
he goes, hey, Chris, just change that snare a little
bit there. Okay, yep, leave that basse part out right there,
and you play that bit over there, and he I
(05:50):
watched him arrange this thing and the whole track is
to elevate, and I like, well, damn, this guy is
the real deal. He's so good. When did the town
start to treat you differently? Tuesday? Um, I was already
getting support from the town very early on. I think
(06:12):
because of all those writing sessions, you know, and when
you write with people where it gets out whether you
can really sing, really play, whether you know about country music,
if you're legit or just some poser really so, I
think those sort of guitar pool sessions of people's houses
going to the Bluebird, people knew I was for real.
(06:32):
I was watching some of your performance with her. I
guess all of it for Tina Turner for the Rock
and Hall of Fame? Um, how did how do you do?
How do you get called in to do that? I
haven't seen any of that yet? You haven't, Um, what
do you mean you haven't seen it? You don't watch?
Do you watch your stuff? Well? I haven't seen that generally?
Will you go and watch your stuff? It depends. Are
(06:53):
you one of the guys that after a live show
you want to go on criticket? I probably should do
it more than I do. Yeah, it's always better when
I get in there and care. How How does a
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame invite come with Tina
for Tina Turner? Uh? Because Brian Adams couldn't make it,
And they just called me out and they go, would
(07:15):
you come and fill in for Brian? Day before the Yeah,
it was it was Thursday and Nick and I will
go into the Bahamas. And my manager calls me and
he goes, hey, can you come fill in for Brian?
And the bla bla blah plan and I'm like, you
will go into the Bahamas on Friday. He's like, you
didn't hear what I said? And I was like, no,
I heard you. We're heading off to the Bahamas and
(07:36):
Nix in the car and Nicks like, oh, I think
we should do that. That sounds fun. But in my
I think in my head, I'm like, this sounds overwhelming.
I've got to learn a song in record time, a
song I've never played. It's not really my kind of song.
It's not my vocal range, it's not in my key.
I'm so in over my head, you know, I was terrified.
You still get terrified, Yeah, wil Dear, Yeah, do you
(08:00):
well that did anything musically would intimidate you? Yeah, to
be thrown into something that's not really my zone, especially
in that place. I'm like maybe standing up on stage
in front of my Cartney and the food fighters and
they're all you know, I pictured them are like arms crossed,
like okay, what do you do? What's your thing? And
I'm like, well, it's not this, It's not this is
(08:22):
not it. So I could picture in my head when
it comes to collaborations as far as your career is concerned,
what do you look back at and go, Man, that
one right there, we nailed it. You and who collaboration
and so many I mean John doing Crossroads with John Mayer.
(08:42):
To this day, I just loved that whole experience with
him playing I learned a lot from him. Really, you
learn from him? Yeah? Yeah, what do you learn from
John Mayre? Um to make the song your own? You know,
you gotta remember I still came from cover band land,
which John did not, And so John approaches it as
a pure artist and makes this song on his own.
(09:04):
Because I remember saying him, now, the first didn't go
like that, and he's like, yeah, but that's how I'm
gonna sing it right on? Of course? Yeah. Is there
a gamesmanship when you have two people that are so again,
I'll just talk about the instrument for a second, so
to be old, they're so proficient at their instrument. Are
you guys? Do you feel each other out at first?
Are you like, is he really as good as I've heard?
(09:25):
Or is it you know, because you've you've heard for yourself,
like on a record or on YouTube and not John specifically,
but anyone, you know when you kind of cross path
because I had room for squares and we played that
record to death on that too a us um so
as I was a fan right from the beginning. Um,
I love the conversation, the musical conversation that happens, And
(09:46):
the most important thing for me is spontaneity is just
you know, you can rehearse, yeah yeah, yeah, but being
in the moment and having that musical conversation with each other.
This is everything. You ever meet someone you like, man,
it's gonna be awesome, and you're like, it's not really
r really as good as that's a hot or as
as you know. I don't want you to say. Some
people don't have a collaborative heart. That's what it is.
They don't have a collaborative heart for whatever reason. They
(10:09):
just don't um collaborate that kind of They have that
thing of well, this is what I do, so you
do your thing, I'll do my thing, and I'm like, well,
let's do our thing. That's what I'm here for. On
the opposite side of that, whoever you collaborated with it,
you're like, oh, I didn't expect it to be as
warm and as a just a friendly collaboration, but holy crap,
(10:29):
we're in We're in it and it's rocking pink. I
think was that when we did one too many? Why
Why do you think you guys hit it off? Um?
I think our voices go together really well, and I
hope they would, but you never know until you hear it.
But she was just unbelievably um giving with that whole project,
(10:50):
you know, for a song that she didn't write, to
be giving so much of her time and her effort
to the too. You know, we shot a video as well,
and then we shot footage which we can use in concerts,
so we have her projected on the screening concert. That's old,
time consuming and she was just amazing. Is it an
issue whenever you're with an artist like that, because they
also have their own music and their own singles and calendars,
(11:12):
and when they want to put out their own to
get pink on a song, do you go, Okay, well
maybe we can release to the single, maybe not, depending
on what your schedule is, right, I mean? Is that something?
Is that an issue that you deal with other artists?
Is something you have to consider? Yeah, for sure, because
sometimes it's at the time he's not gonna work. You know. Yeah,
it's great, the single sounds really great, but we're not
going to release it at the right time. I was
(11:40):
reading on the internet that you bowl? Are you some
of the stuff I didn't know and could be crap?
Are you a bowler? Yeah? Are you a good bowler?
I'm Okay, how do I not know that? We've never
talked about it or been bowling? True? But where do
where do you? Where do you bowl? I haven't bowled
in a long time. It's just one of those things
that I happened to be not bad at, sort of
(12:01):
out of the gate. Is that I hand coordination that
guitar players have. You know your highest game is what
you call it a game? Yeah? No, I don't know.
Um uh, you know to have an average Yeah, it's
not grabbing me. Three hundreds of perfect game right, definitely
could crack no, but definitely could crack two. You play pool, Yeah,
(12:22):
you go to that. I think this mandatory when you'
from Australia, you've got to play pool? Is that a thing?
Very much like all the pubs and they all had
pool tables? Say sign of a misspent youth. We'll think
about that. Though. You're you're good at bowling, you're good
at pool. I mean is that you're obviously good at guitar?
Which one made you good at which because you do
(12:43):
have the hand eye coordination there. It's right, it's not
a coincidence. All those are very hand eye coordinated. Do
you think being a good guitar player helps you be
a good bowler. I suck at base but basketball I
cannot get that thing in the hoop. So that goes
that theory. You sure or false? You were once a
road guitarist for a bit for Brooks and Dune. No,
never one of the many things on Wikipedia. It's not true.
(13:04):
I didn't think the bowling was true. I'll be honest
with you to be false. So where did that story
come from? Do you know? Yeah, we toured with Brooks
and Done in two thousand and one and I came
out and played one song with them as a guitarist,
and I think that then from then on, yeah, I
was like the guy in the band. Well, what happened
(13:27):
was we were going to pull a prank on them,
and they had a guitar player in the band, Charlie.
I'vegotten his last name, Charlie. And he had his hat down,
really had a wore hat worked down super low, had
this like leopard print shirt and everything. And during the
tourists thinking I could probably masqueraders. I could probably pretend
to be him and the boys wouldn't even know. And
(13:48):
so during one of the shows, Charlie slipped out the
back while he was playing, I already had the same
clothes on, slipped right out and reclaimed his spot on
the stage and played an entire song, and then in
the middle of the when the solo happened, Kicks goes,
Charlie and I ran down the front was shredding right
in between kicks and running, and it took a bait
(14:10):
for them to realize I wasn't, but they did realize.
So I think that was where this room and got started.
What's like a Tuesday at your house? Like? And I
asked that because you and your wife exclusively are superstars.
When you're together, I feel like you're kind of normal.
It's it's it's a weird situation. Like when I see
(14:34):
you two, if we're an event or something, I feel
like as a couple, you're quite approachable. Individually, it's different
because I feel like I know you and I could
just come up to you. But individually I would say
you're superstar Keith Urban and she is superstar Nicole Kidman.
But together it's almost like a normal husband and wife.
(14:54):
And I have not seen that vibe with any other couple.
Usually it's different. It's like they're much more, they're much
less approachable together because there's so much more power there.
But it feels like you're a normal, normal married couple
at home. Is that true? You'd be doing a house
it's like super Nourmal. I saw her tell you once
(15:14):
that she was gonna stop and get some milk, and
I was like, you do that? What do you mean
you're gonna get milk? Shouldn't someone be flying that in
and like flying the cow in the rock and roll?
And how how how do you guys maintain what do
you focus on to try to have normalcy in a
life that is abnormal? I mean, look love, genuine love
(15:39):
and genuine gratitude for what we get to do. Nick
has it. I have it, and I think it's we
were both raised in a similar thing to Australia's. Really
Australia has a thing called a tall poppy syndrome. Every
as he knows about this, and it's if you get
too big in the in the South, they say when
you get above your raisin, right, they cut you down.
(15:59):
You get cut down. The poppy seed plan is another one.
The tall poppy gets So that's it. So it's the
it's the tall poppy syndrome where you you don't last
very long. If you're strutting around with this crazy ego
in Australia, you could cut down so fast, so you
just are always down to earth. You read the down
to earth, you're out of work. It's one of the two,
and it's it's put us in a really good place
(16:21):
to have a good life because of it. What are
you grateful for with her as a person? How does
she make you better? I'm sure? And I asked this
from a personal, just personal place, because I've never been married.
I've never I've never even told anyone I hadn't either,
right like, I never there was no I didn't know
how to love until now Because I think you know
you're talking about the trauma from your I struggle with
(16:42):
a lot of that trauma until now and still am,
but have found someone. But what is it about her
as a human that you appreciate so much that brings
a different side of you out that hadn't been exposed yet? Um?
She really loves, genuinely loves and has real empathy, compassion,
(17:03):
caring and love like I've never never experienced before. Do
you ever watch her act and go, holy crap, that's
so good? Or do you see it all the time
where you just expected to be great. She's so good
and I don't know anything about acting. Sometimes people say
the bad actor. I'm like, I'll all looks the same
to me. However, I was watching on Hulu with Nine
(17:26):
Strangers the whole thing she's she's so good in that
that you then go, okay, that's good acting. Like and
she is nailing these series. Is if she's in a series,
I'll watch it. It's just to that point now where
if your wife is in a series, even if I
don't know what it's about, the history of poop, I'm
(17:46):
going to I'm going to watch it because she has
showed that she's awesome in these things. Do you do
you talk about projects with her? Does she talk about
projects with you and them together and like should we
do this? Yeah? Yeah, because we have to talk about
scheduling and where it is and how's this going to work?
And then of course a lot of the times reading
scripts with her, you know, this is the being the
Riccardo's which is the Lasilla Ball film that's coming out.
(18:08):
Aaron Sulkin wrote most amazing scripts, and just getting to
read these scripts is something that is it's surreal you
read with her sometimes? Yeah, do you ever want to
do that? Especially? No, I have zero interest in acting
like none zero. Does she ever hear a song of
yours and go? Yeah? She doesn't have to. I can
(18:30):
tell you can. Here's the thing that's more important, and
you may be able to relate to this. I've realized
that whoever I play a song for, and I've had
you at the house and i've played you things before,
what how you react that song tells me a lot
about the song, But what tells me more is how
I feel planet for you. I've learned so much about
(18:51):
how I feel about playing somebody a song, whether it's
you or whether it's Nick. Because you know, she may
go I love that, and inside I'm thinking I did
until I play eat it, and I'm not feeling so
good about it now. So I want to figure out
what's going on. What is your relationship with singles, EPs, albums?
Because it's a new land out there, it's a tension.
(19:12):
Spans are different. Sorry what exactly, but it is getting
that way right? Yeah? So how are you feeling these
days about twelve fourteen track albums? Why are do you
see you changing? How you're just you know, doing Keith
Urban distribution of music. I I still like to think
it comes down to quality, the quality of something because
people go, oh, people want shorter, the shorter that, And
(19:34):
I'm like, only because a lot of what's out there
it's just not great. It's okay, it's not great, and
it's not great because it's having to be churned out
at such a fast right now, because it's content content,
content content quick. You have it with your show, and
you you're trying to maintain a level of excellence with
this often unrealistic demand for the amount of it. You're
trying to walk a line. How can I give you
(19:56):
the best most exactly? That's exactly it? And I miss
a lot because sometimes I do most and sometimes I
do best, but I often don't get it right at
the same time. And I think we're in this a
lot in our society right now. The speed of everything
and the and the demand for more and more and
more and more quality takes time. Not always, but most
(20:17):
of the time it takes. It takes a beat. Do
you feel pressure from at this stage of your career
labels managers like, hey, let's go, we need another something
from you, or are you now, like guys, you'll get
it when you get it. Yeah, I've never felt that.
I've never felt I will say my record company Capital Record,
(20:40):
So I've been with a long time. I've never ever
felt anything but support for for what I do. They've
never given me like dragging the record out of my hand,
demanding this song with that song. Ever, they've been amazingly supportive.
Do you need a teleprompter ever? For lyrics? You've got
so many number one songs? Do you ever need a
reminder of words? Do you have to refresh or are
(21:02):
you just there? Yeah, refresh it if it's gonna be
an old song. But it's I have a sick memory
for lyrics of songs. It's crazy you bring up I
I brought it up. But we talked about it with
Ronnie Donn, who I've oddly become friends with and we're
opposite in many ways, but we were. We were texting
last night like that's he's there's a big picture when
you walked into this guest house. He sent over to
(21:23):
the house of like a bowl or something that was
laying on the counter. But Ronnie has and I don't
think you would care if I shared this. He has
someone in his ear the whole time on a microphone
side stage, telling him every lyric every song. He's had
it for a long time. He's just like, I don't
want to forget, and I don't have I don't have
a good memory. So they're like out in the country,
out in the country. I mean they're right in there.
(21:43):
That's excellent. I mean voice of an angel, but holy crap,
we can't remember word for the guy in the ear
and it's and it's a yeah, very much so. But
you have it all there for the most part. Boy,
he'd want to be on good terms of that guy,
wouldn't he. It's like, ron Ronnie, don't you run roun Burgundy?
You could get Burgundy, san Diego real quick prompt there,
(22:07):
Let's talk about the new single that I do want
to get back to the tour. But the current single
is wild Hearts. Let me play a little bit of
this for you. I kind of have a relationship with
(22:32):
every songwriter on this song, which is pretty cool. Eric
Passley is a dear friend of mine. Um Jen Wayne
Same she's in now, she's in a group herself away June. There.
It is Brad Turcy from Old Dominion, how does this
room come together? Or was it a room that came together?
It didn't come together. I got sent this song as
(22:52):
a finished song, two verses, chorus done, and uh. I
got pitched the song from Roxy King and I heard
it and I was like, mmmmm, I don't know. It's
just I like the chorus don't really the rest of
us not pulling me in. And so I passed on
(23:13):
the song. And then about two weeks later, I woke
up one morning singing this chorus in my head and
I'm like, what is That's that wild Hurt Songs really
special chorus. I listened to the song again and I went, man,
that chorus is so freaking good. But the verses don't
say anything to me. And so I called the writers
and I said would I said it, would you mind
(23:35):
if I rewrote the verses just to make it more
personal because it's such a personal song. It's you know,
following your dreams, and like, well what about what? You know?
What was my dream journey from Australia to hear And
they sent me the track without anything in the verses,
and I just rewrote the verses. That's pretty cool. One
day we go yes and I said to them. I said,
(23:57):
I'm a writer, so I get this first of all,
and I'm not one of these guys. It's going to
be like I added the word the give me fift
I've never been that guy. Um, And I said, you
guys have written a top song. It's top to bottom.
It's finished, right. If you can pitch it and someone
wants to cut it as is, please do that. I'm
not asking to dismantle your song if someone else wants
to record it, but if you are okay and I
(24:19):
can rewrite these verses and they come up the way
I think they will, I'm definitely recording this song. And
God bless him, they let me do that. The North
American Tour The Speed of Now World War Two. Uh,
the tickets are on so now Keith urban dot com,
how long do you think you have another ten years
of doing these really high energy shows in you? I
don't even think about that. I mean just the next year,
(24:41):
the next show. I mean, I'm injured. My my whole
body is still injured from my nat g O show.
Yeah bet so. Now I think about things in terms
like could I do another three seasons of that show?
And I can't? I now understand. I can't mash herrist,
her shoulder heart Everything tour is not that show, but
your tour. I'm telling you things that yours. You're mad man.
(25:02):
Your tour is again, is the most energetic show I've
ever seen from a superstar who doesn't have to be
that energetic because he's already a superstar. And I mean
that the most complimentary way. You could go out and
just put on a solid show and be Keith Urban
and people will be blown away, but you don't. Your
hair is on fire for no other reason than you
live that your art is your hair being on fire
(25:22):
during a show. Yeah, yeah, well I only know one
volume to get out there and play at there, isn't
I mean, if it's real passion and the audience knows it,
they're like, that's legit. That's a guy surfing on the
wave of not thinking about it, but it's really happening
and I can feel it. It's it's true. It's in
the moment. Do you lose yourself in shows? Definitely? Yeah,
(25:43):
it's it's a perfect balance of being completely present and
completely lost in the moment all simultaneously. Do you ever,
Sometimes I'll drive and I'll get somewhere I'll be like,
holy crap, I don't know how I got here, Like
subconscious has completely taken over. And then I feel unsafe
and I'm like, you're telling me people are driving, and
then I start thinking about other gets. You are doing
what I did, not thinking and driving places. But does
that ever happen in the show where you're three songs
(26:04):
later and you're like, dear god, how does that even
get here? No? No? I mean maybe no, not really,
not even a moment. I was thinking about a moment
and a song. Um no, because I don't know. I'm
just super present, but I'm also thinking. I'm taking a
multi multiprocessing right, which I think you do it extremely
(26:25):
well on your show. You're listening to me, you're checking
that out, you're thinking about other things, you're probably thinking
about some other things you gotta do, and it's all
multi processing all at once, and you totally here as well.
I feel like I'm completely present, but I think I'm
good at being present will while also delegating my mind
(26:46):
to do other things. The same good way to put it, Yeah,
what do you say on that microphone when you walk
over that nobody hears? You know, the microphone. We're talking
to it, all, right, do you have one of those?
What do you? What do you When you walk back,
it's four songs in and only your guys on stage
you can hear you. Because for those that don't know
some of my friends that have them, call them. We'll
call it a b mike right to the word rich,
(27:07):
Like we're talking to the rich Mike. If you're going
to that microphone, what are you saying in the middle
of a show? Why would it might be called that?
But I have no idea, but that's what that's the
only thing I know it has. Right, Oh, that's weird.
I've never heard that expression. Oh you haven't. No, I
never heard that. Well I don't say it, but that's crazy.
So we stole it from Kenny Chesney when I was
on two with him and I saw he had one,
(27:27):
and I'm like, well, that's perfect because everyone's got in
ears and you can actually talk to everyone. Are going
to get out over the top. You're not at all
not that, Mike. What do you say? Is it like, hey, guys,
we're gonna switch songs or we're gonna play in a
different or on my throat? Her? Like what it could
be something to my guitar tech, could be something to
the monitor guy, could be something to the band. It
(27:48):
could be something to security. It could just be really
like you see something out there. For sure, security has
ears in and they can hear that. I know that
it's gonna get to where it's going to get to.
If maybe not directly, someone will really the message. But yeah,
if I feel like there's just heavy handed security at
a place, not letting people have fun or anything like that,
make sure it gets taken care of. Definitely, of all
(28:16):
the things that you do. As we wrap this up,
one of my favorites is when you and I haven't
seen it in a while because you haven't been on
the road as normal. No one has right when you
do those videos with the police escort behind you and
you're like, thank you guys. Great, Like I love the
blue light video at the end of the show. Rights
(28:37):
so much so that there have been a couple of
times where, you know, we did a we've done a
couple of shows. We did a festival and I throw
a festival in Texas and we had like four or
five thousand people and we had to get out and
I was like, hey, I'm gonna get that blue light
like either, because I gotta get that shot. So you're
inspiring me in ways you had no idea. It's much
better having in front of you than behind you. Let
me tell you, I would agree with. I've spent way
(28:57):
more years with the opposite. So this is nice, Mike.
Anything that I have missed that we need to address
with Keith before he leaves, I think that's everything. It's
a daylight savings time just about so it's getting darker
now and so it feels like it's midnight. A little tired,
kind of run through it here. Anything you'd like to say, Read,
you're a massive Keith fan. Read is my video guy.
He's been looking for He's been looking forward to this
whole life. So Read, this is your one shot with Keith.
(29:21):
Is there anything take a deep breath, all right that
you'd like to ask Keith? Alright, Keith, I don't know.
All I'm thinking about is uh. When I first started
learning guitar, my dad got me your Golden Road DVD
that had all the music videos on it, and I
would stand in front of the TV and I'll try
(29:41):
to mimic and try to learn learn the songs and
it was god awful. But I remember that moment. And
then I got the pleasure of going to your show.
I think it was in Dallas like three no, maybe
like two years ago, and my girlfriend got me the
tickets and and of course you're out in the crowd
running around and you came up to us, and I
(30:02):
can just remember my my girlfriend just going Keith, Keith.
But that was probably me actually, but yeah, so those
are just the moments that came up to me. But
I was a huge fan. Man, Thank you so much.
How's the plan coming along? Oh it's it's good. Yeah,
you're still playing, yeah, sir. Yeah, I love songwriting. Uh.
(30:24):
I don't do a lot of playing shows or anything,
but um I love to produce my own music as
well and and and write songs. So right, yes sir, Yeah,
there we have an emotional emotional moment here. Yeah, I'll
mention this before you go to I as we were
walking out of our wedding, we played God Whispered your Name.
The writers or one of the writers saw me out.
(30:47):
I was getting some ice cream with Caitlin and he
was like, you guys played go when God whispered your
name at your wedding? And I was like, first time
I keeps sing that song, I was like, that's it,
Like I felt that's that's one of those rare songs
in my life where I was like because when I
heard it the first time, I thought, if I can
ever have this in my life, that's it. And then
when I met my wife, now, I went, this is
(31:07):
that song like it was the songwriting, it was the delivery,
it was the texture, all of those things together in
that song. I remember thinking, man, if I ever find
this because I heard a song before I knew her,
but when I met her and I was like, oh,
this is when God whispered your name. Wow. And it's
one of those few moments where a song is you're
(31:28):
super romantic, punches you in the gut. Yeah, okay, maybe
you got you got married and you love that kind
of song and yeah yeah, Dan and Should played yes
and they The funny part about that was my wife
and Abby Smires are really close friends. Dan and I
(31:49):
have been buddies for a long time, and I was like, hey,
look you get because they're like, whatever you want, we'll play.
Like Dan was like, well you didn't even ask us,
Like we'll play whatever you want and I think they
expected us to pick one of their songs because they
have a hundred love songs the best, but I didn't.
I picked the Beach Boys song, pick Forever I don't know,
(32:10):
and everyone I said, make you laugh, I talk forever Um.
Dennis Wilson wrote it. I didn't know that song. Jesse
and the Rippers later did it on Full House. Dennis
Wilson wrote it and the drummer well, and they crushed
it and for and they did, so they put it
on they give us the file. They recorded it as
well as a wedding gift ties and gave it to us.
(32:30):
It was awesome, amazing, And what was cool was even
Ronnie was like, hey, you don't want anything for your wedding,
Like I can't get you anything. What do you mean
to sing? And I was like, that's the greatest gift ever.
So He's saying, neon Moon, it was awesome. Goodness is awesome.
How did he remember the words? I worried too. I said,
do we need to get that mike for you over
on the side. We didn't. He knew the words though,
(32:51):
at the still phone of his ear the whole time.
All right, get tickets are on sale today Keith Urban,
The Speed of Now World Towar two. They're up, go
see him. This podcast. This show has heard in all
kinds of countries, so obviously North America, but all over
the world. UM, I don't know how you do it.
I don't know how you do it. Maintain as you.
I love what I do. I love what I get
to do. And truly it's a game. You know. People go, oh,
(33:13):
it's a gift if you do it, really is. And
I'll finish with this because I think it's what is.
What it's all about is I went born with the
addictive gene. I went to three rehabs in the span
of three years, in the span of eight years, the
first three, second one was two thousand and three, and
(33:33):
my third one was two thousand and six. And it
took what it took for me to finally get sober um.
And that journey brought the deepest, deepest level of gratitude
for what I get to do that I don't know
if I ever would have gotten that gratitude level without
that journey. I think when you come close to losing
(33:54):
all of that and then it gets given back to
you through grace, in my case, getting back to me,
I was like, I'm never going to take this for
granted ever Again. Does it make you a more giving
person going through because for me, I have found that
growing up a poverty kid and someone who's been through
those struggles with addiction secondary that affects me and how
(34:17):
I treat other people. Do you think you were two
different people before and after your final run, your your
final time and rehab? Very much? Yeah, and yes, I
separate the person from the addiction. You are known as
one of the nicer guys in town, just generally by
(34:37):
people like Keith urban Is the nicest guy. Were you
known early in your career? Is that guy? Were you
always just completely dialed into the human aspect of people,
because now you are and you're known for that. I
like people and I like collaborating. I love Yeah, I
love people. I've always loved people. You've always been a
nice guy. I've always I think I've always been um
(34:58):
bridge builder. I'm a ridge builder. I'm an entertainer. You know.
I think I was the that was the it was
the peace person. You know, if you have an identity
in your home, I was the bridge building between my
brother and my father, always trying to kill each other.
I was like, interesting, I'm gonna I'm gonna be the
one that keeps the peace here. And I think I've
(35:18):
carried that into my life. All Right, Go to a show,
listen to the music. Keith Urban, Thank you always good
to talk. Good to talk to you too. There he
is Keith Urban. Everybody, It's awesome.
Host
Bobby Bones
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