“I just didn’t want to do anything for a good few weeks. And I slowly came down into my studio and recorded … and slowly got back on the horse. And once I did, it was almost like a whole new drive to create came out of that. But it definitely didn’t start out that way.” Keith Urban on the sudden remake of his 11th studio album titled “The Speed of Now Part 1.”
Quarantine on Keith Urban
The lockdown affected normal citizens and artists alike in very different ways, but knowing Keith Urban’s personality, it’s not even shocking that he’d use his extra time to refine his art, making music. Although he didn’t swiftly adapt to the Coronavirus situation with ease, he also felt the sudden halt and routine changes of the usual lifestyle surrounding him.
“I was quite artistically paralyzed for the first part of lockdown” he admits as his upcoming tours and studio recording sessions were suddenly put to a halt.
How Urban Got “Change” to Work to His Advantage
Nonetheless, the good news is, “The Speed of Now Part 1” got an upgrade from its original version. Thanks to the lockdown, Urban got serious insights from the solitude which promises a distinctive feel to the mood of the album. He first found himself in front of his laptop holding an acoustic guitar then felt a sudden sense of creativity shock, enabling him to write new songs for the album. In fact, he made so many he had to kick out older songs from the originally given roster.
“Basically, I was just finishing mixes, but then suddenly found that I’ve got a bit of extra unexpected time to keep writing. And I actually ended up writing several new songs, which pushed out some existing songs I had. I think it made the record a little more cohesive.”
Rescheduled Release Dates
Although “The Speed of Now Part 1” isn’t released yet, he already sent out singles, giving the viewers the perfect teaser to figure out the mood and feel of his new album. The singles released include: “Superman,” “We Were” and “God Whispered Your Name”. However, the album will be released on September 18 via Capitol Records Nashville.
It’s undeniable that the pandemic indeed brings a lot of negative things into our lives, but as the foe is inevitably stronger now than we can combat, let us follow Keith Urban’s example. Find a different perspective in these battles. Rather than simply moping around feeling sad for nothing, let’s use this time to discover more of ourselves and stretch our potentials.