Last week, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame revealed Keith Urban as part of its 2023 inductees. The news came from Columbia Studio A, near where Urban first arrived in Music City from Australia in 1989. Urban expressed his surreal feelings, reflecting on his early days and his journey since then.
He spoke about his craft, upcoming 2024 album, Las Vegas residency, and more in an interview with AP.
Urban mentioned his start in Nashville in 1989 and how this award makes him think of those days. He still feels the timelessness when driving through Music Row, where he had challenging but formative experiences at MCA publishing.
Despite the difficulties, he learned a lot about songwriting, especially given Nashville’s collaborative writing rooms.
Being recognized as a songwriter is remarkable for Urban, who began writing songs to escape cover bands.
He shared insights from collaborations, like learning from Ed Sheeran to start with weaker songs to reach the better ones. He teased a new single coming soon and an album next year, sharing his unique journey of creating the album’s tracks.
Urban’s next album took a different direction after he discarded most of his original work. The process led to a fresh, authentic collection.
While fatherhood isn’t a direct theme, hope, longing, and fun characterize his songs. The album’s finishing touch might be the personal song “Break the Chain.”
Urban’s Vegas residency in November offers intimacy and production freedom, bringing him back to the challenge of captivating audiences, reminiscent of his early club days.