MUSIC HEAD INTERVIEW

KEITH URBAN : SEP 2004
BE HERE INTERVIEW WITH KEITH URBAN -

http://www.musichead.com.au/site/news.asp?newsID=15005&txt=keith%20urban
The new album from Keith Urban entitled 'Be Here' is released on Monday (September 20). The Australian only version of the album contains an extra track and includes the hit single 'Days Go By'. Keep your eyes peeled right here for a special track by track run through with Keith Urban himself. Meanwhile here's part one of a recent interview with Keith conducted by Jane Rocca ...

There’s a cool charm that lingers around Keith Urban. Maybe he knows it exists, but he certainly doesn’t act like it does. He is without doubt one of country music’s prettier faces, but image aside, the 37-year-old blond, who was born in New Zealand but grew up in Queensland, Australia and now lives in Nashville, says for him, it’s all about the music.

Urban is the first Australian artist to achieve eight consecutive Top 5 singles in the States, yet he mostly goes unrecognised by the masses here at home. In Nashville he barely has a moment when walking down the street without being recognised and asked for an autograph.

He first signed a record deal with EMI in 1990 in Australia and recorded his first solo album that charted five number one country hits. Enticed by that success he moved to Nashville in 1992 and tried his luck over there.

“At first when I left Australia I thought this would be easy,” explains Urban. “Well, I was younger, a lot younger and if I knew it would take as long as was required maybe I wouldn’t have hung around, but I really wanted to make this happen for me.”

He formed a three piece band called The Ranch and scored himself a label deal with Capitol Nashville after live shows inspired plenty of reaction in the music industry. The band broke up and Urban returned to his solo career.

“Luckily when I packed my bags and headed to the States I went at it with such conviction. By the time it started to feel like it was wearing me down was when we got a label deal, it was like cool, we did it,” he explains.

“I don’t think anybody would stay if they thought it would take ten years. Thank god I didn’t know.”

When it came to working on this new album (Be Here), which follows the hugely success and platinum sales of Golden Road, Urban says it was business as usual in the studio.

“I didn’t really think about the success of my previous albums when I worked on this. I really just went into the studio and made music and it will do what it is going to do,” says Urban. “I had no idea Golden Road would become a success. I never know when I put a record out if it will appeal to radio or not. That’s not my priority but you certainly hope.”

Be Here is a tender record, hooked on that sticky sweet country sound – but also tugged by a pop and rock conviction. The album is fuelled by real life experiences – many of the songs co-written, one with friend and singer and songwriter Richard Marx, called Better Life.

“We have written a lot together before but nothing that suited my albums. We hung out at his house in Chicago when we wrote Better Life. He asked me to come out to the house and I stayed for a weekend. It was loose and casual and there was no pressure. He is a great guy,” says Urban.

He doesn’t describe himself as a prolific songwriter, but Urban enjoys the experience every time he heads into the studio. “I try to put myself in the same headspace each time. If you try and get cerebrral about your music you’ll be dead before you know. It’s not about that, it’s about being honest and recording music that really means something to you.” ...

Urban, who has been renting in Nashville for 10 years, is now living in a hotel room because most of the time he’s actually on the road touring. In fact, as this interview is taking place at the Hotel Como in Melbourne, Urban’s mother is visiting him in Nashville. Strange huh?

“I am looking for a house to buy at the moment,” he says. “My hard work is slowly paying off…and yeah, right now mum is visiting me in Nashville but I’m here. It won’t be long before I’m back. I do think about moving back to Australia though – maybe Sydney I think.”

As a child, Urban grew up listening to country music thanks to his dad’s collection. “My dad had all this American country music from Johnny Cash through to more obscure stuff. I got into it because that was all I heard when I was growing up,” he says. “I think if my dad had African music playing at home I’d be in Zimbabwe right now trying to explain what the hell I’m doing there, but Nashville it is.”

He’s been known to dabble in drugs and drinking too much, but these days Urban prefers to read empowering books called The Power of Now and focus on his spiritual connection with his music. Life has taken a full 360-degree turn – his schedule no longer includes drinking binges and waking up not remembering what happened the night before.

“I really take care of myself now,” he says. “When I lost my voice that was really dreadful, and I became quite worried about the thought of not being able to sing. I drink more water than I ever used to. I have a trainer who comes on the road with me every day. Taking him on the road and changing a lot of my lifestyle means it’s all working well. He takes care of all my food – I don’t know how to manage protein, and carbohydrates. I don’t have a weight problem obviously, but I do have energy spikes and crashes even if you are skinny. You realise health is one of the most important things in this game. Thank god I realised in time.”

Artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain broke some ground rules in terms of tipping the country genre in a new direction, and according to Urban, they’ve helped him by doing so as well. “I think it was a slow progression from what Garth Brooks did for country or the rock’n’roll element that we see in some shows now. I mean even singers like Shania Twain came along and did it a different way again. It’s been all those breaking down of walls that have helped artists like me,” says Urban.

“If anything, I can see country music has changed when I listen to my first record and realise that was a little more conservative than what we have moved towards now. It wasn’t a conscious decision but one I guess I found more acceptable now that country music’s definition is so broad.”