Keith Urban Talks New 'Yacht Rock' Album 'Flow State'

(Apple Music / The Kelleigh Bannen Show) Keith Urban joins The Kelleigh Bannen Show on Apple Music Country to discuss his new yacht rock-inspired album, Flow State. In the conversation, Keith opens up about his admiration for Lola Young, collaborating with John Mayer, revisiting his hit, "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me," with a new perspective, and his hope that the album can help bring the world's divisiveness, fear and uncertainty "down a notch." He also discusses how the project came together while breaking in a new recording studio, his love of yacht rock, timeless music, and more.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music how even he was surprised he made a yacht rock covers album with 'Flow State': We had a good time doing it. It's just the whole record was unexpected. You know, when I told somebody I was making a yacht rock record, they said, "Oh, that's the last thing I expected from you." I said, "Me too." It wasn't in my sights, you know? And one song became three, became five, and it just kept growing.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music how recording a yacht rock album came out of breaking in a new recording studio he recently purchased.: I think day one we did maybe "Magnet and Steel" or "Steal Away" or something and I know we did "On and On" by Stephen Bishop on the first day. And everything felt like just hand in glove. Everything just clicked immediately. The band felt good, the song felt so me and then we sort of did another one and that had the same effect and that was really what kept pulling us on.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music he has a unique love for spending time in the recording studio.: I've always loved it. I've always loved being in the studio. That's the first thing. I've always loved it. I know a lot of artists they just want to get in, get out, right? They just want to get back to playing golf or whatever the hell they do. And they don't really want to hang out in the studio. I know plenty of artists like that. It's just not their thing.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music the one song he resisted covering on the new album.: I didn't want to do "Baby Come Back." That was Dan Huff's suggestion. Cause it just seems so well-known. I mean, they're all well-known songs anyway, but that one is especially well known...But Dan said, 'look, we're in the flow, I don't mean that pun intended, but we're in the zone. Let's just throw it in and see what it feels like. Let's just try it.' And we tried it and it just, man, it was just comfortable.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music why the songs he chose for Flow State speak to him.: I think for me, so many of these songs, they've just always been there. I don't remember hearing them for the first time. I just know I've heard them most of a good chunk of my life. And they're so timelessly good in the way they're written. But I also can't say enough about the arrangements, the record making, the time and effort they put into making qualitative records was key.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music an artist he thinks has mastered the art of musical arrangement.: I love Lola Young's records. There's a guy in there, Solomonophonic, who I really love - quirky, just original, very analog band, cool. It's just a vibe and it stays that way the entire record. Like they hit upon a thing and it's a sound and it's a feel and then it stays that way through the whole record. I love those kinds of albums, cause it's the reason to listen to an album. She's an amazing songwriter. So good. It's okay to do it once or twice, but she just [nails] every song. "Spiders" by her is one of my all-time favorite songs.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music what he thinks makes a song timeless.: I think capturing a truth and authenticity in a way that's immediately relatable...something stayed through the process to connect and speak with you and it will do it forever, no matter of what generation it is. That's why Fleetwood Mac records speak to a 15-year-old.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music a song he's recorded that he thinks could be considered timeless.: I can't think of it in terms of timeless, but I can think of it in terms of a particular reason why it connected, which I maybe understand more now, getting away from it for a long time and I hear something and go, oh yeah, that's got a vibe. I know when I heard "Who Wouldn't Wanna Be Me" recently I was really taken with how raw and confident it sounded. I think the rawness and the confidence is why it worked, but at the time I was thinking about too many other things and couldn't really, whatever, you know. I was probably a bit frustrated with the record and put it out and I'm like, whatever, we got to put this thing out. But in hindsight, I'm really glad that it came out.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music how Flow State serves as an "exhale" for listeners.: When [yacht rock] was created, primarily late 70s, early 80s, that's really the golden era of this kind of music. A lot of political unrest and sort of friction and stuff going on that was tense. And the music was like a balm for all of that. It was just an offering to say, don't overthink this music, you know? "If you like pi-a coladas," there's nothing to think about with this song. It's not meant to, it's just exhale from all of your stress and that's what it's for. And I think the reason why it's made such a strong resurgence right now is because it's doing the exact same thing just at a different time in history. I think there's so much divisiveness, there's so much fear, anxiety, insecurity, uncertainty. Just all this uncertainty and unsteadiness and anything that can kind of just have you exhale for a minute and see a blue sky, albeit metaphorically, can give you a shot at maybe just taking it down just a notch.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music why he chose John Mayer to cover "Guitar Man" on Flow State.: I've just always loved him, love his playing and wanted to do something with him and I saw "Guitar Man," I'm like, duh. That's the one. So I sent it to him and he loved it and was game to give it a swing and just did his thing. I think Dead & Co. has been such an amazing thing for John. It's broadened his palette and deepened it so much. I've always loved his guitar playing, but it's in a whole new realm now. I think his touch and his melodic approach is just gorgeous.

Keith Urban tells Apple Music his reaction to John Mayer's part on "Guitar Man" on Flow State.: When he sent back his guitar parts, I'd already done mine - which is tricky because he's got to work around me versus if you're both doing it together, you bounce off each other. He had to work off what was already sent to him, and I said to him, just play, don't worry about me, just play because I may pick and choose and we may assemble it, whatever. But he just knew what to do. The very opening two notes, [imitates guitar], which he plays and is immediately John Mayer's tone, immediately, was so arresting that there was a slide part on the original version and I just, I muted all of that to clear more space when I heard what he had done. So, it's sort of like I sent him the track, he did his thing, I heard what he did, and then I re-jiggered the track based on the spirit that he brought back to it. He's just so freakin' good.

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