1 00:00:05,519 --> 00:00:08,959 Speaker 1: All right, and with Keith Urban, which is Caitlin sends 2 00:00:08,960 --> 00:00:11,240 Speaker 1: her best my wife. She just said Keith's coming over 3 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: and said, yeah. She said, tell him, first of all, 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: thank you for the wedding gifts. And it's the nicest 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: sheets we've ever owned in our entire life. You should 6 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: stay in more often, you know. I she got onto 7 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: me a little bit, because you probably don't do this, 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: but I still have two At times I have to 9 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: spray tan yeah, okay. And I got into the sheets 10 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,240 Speaker 1: and spray tan once, and she reminded me how nice 11 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: of sheets they were, and then I should never do 12 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: that again. And then you reminded her how much expensive 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: tanning was and it didn't work. The tanning does not 14 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: really hold a candle to she should but they weren't 15 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: destroyed and they all came out wonderfully. But she said, 16 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: tell him thank you. And she had even and you 17 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: tell me because we had written you and your lovely 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: wife and thank you card, but we thought we would 19 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: just mail it instead of handing it to you, which 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:00:59,600 Speaker 1: would have been more awkward to hand it to you 21 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: in person, or just to get it in like a 22 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,800 Speaker 1: normal in the mail. Either way, both of mine. Yeah, 23 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: and you could have even not send it, but told 24 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: me that you did, and the thought that they counts. 25 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: I said that to to people, and I said, hey, 26 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: what if I just send people a message for a 27 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: wedding gift like a video method? Felt human? Yeah? And 28 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: with that and I said, but everybody just roasted me 29 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: like it was the dumbest thing they had ever heard, 30 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: because they just love the tradition of the if someone 31 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: sent to me a thank you card for something I 32 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: expect to thank you card for, I don't feel like 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 1: it means as much. If I get a thank you 34 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: card for something I don't expect to thank you, that's awesome, 35 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: I hear you. Yeah, it's it's a complicated etiquette, isn't it? 36 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: Is this back home? Is it so? Etiquette back in 37 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: like Australia, New Zealand is a dumb American thing where 38 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: we have this, you know, this is this a thing 39 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: there with after if someone gets married. Back in New Zealand, 40 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: I had to learn the whole thing about thank you gods. 41 00:01:57,040 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 1: And because I didn't grow out with any of that, 42 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: think my family was not that etiquette at all. Etiquette 43 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: they were not at all. I I had to learn 44 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: the hard way here that you're right, thank you notes 45 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: to people. That was that was completely fore into me. 46 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: I remember once you were kind enough to invite me 47 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: over to your place. It was a Christmas and we 48 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: were in Australia. He said, hey, you should come over 49 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: and I was talking to you about music in Australia 50 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: New Zealand and country music in particular, and I was like, 51 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: what is country music like here? And you you had 52 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: kind of expressed to me that country music there is 53 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: kind of am like, it's a different kind of homebred, 54 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:43,359 Speaker 1: folksy country in Australia. That's some of the the American 55 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:45,639 Speaker 1: version is getting over there, but it's hard to find 56 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: country music on the radio in Australia. Well, the struggle 57 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,480 Speaker 1: for Australian country artists is there isn't the big mainstream 58 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: infrastructure that there is here in America. You know, here 59 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: we have FM country stations everywhere, get satellite radio, you've 60 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: got uh multiple video platforms. This is even preceding YouTube 61 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: with CMT and g C. None of that existed in Australia. 62 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: So there was a lot of country out us wanting 63 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: to make more mainstream sounding country music, but there wasn't 64 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: the platforms for it, and to some degree that's still 65 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: a struggle there. So how growing up there did you 66 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: attach yourself to the thought of country music and that 67 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: that's the kind of music you wanted to make or 68 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: were you naturally just making it and it was the 69 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: most organic place for you to fit musically? Here? It well, 70 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: I mean Nashville was just the destination because why why 71 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: why was it the destination? It was written on the 72 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: back of all the records that my dad had, um 73 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: Don Williams mostly and Glenn Campbell, Charlie Pride, merl Hagged. 74 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: All of those records all sit on the back of 75 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: them recorded Nahville, Tennessee. So as a kid, I'm like, oh, 76 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: that's where you go to make records period. I just 77 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: thought that's where you go if you want to make 78 00:03:57,400 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: a record. But how did your dad get so involved 79 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 1: in music for Nashville, because not not at all was 80 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: from Nashville. You're talking about country music, like other than 81 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline, you know, there's there weren't a 82 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 1: lot of I don't know if pop would be the 83 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 1: word or Nashville wasn't big unless it was country American. 84 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 1: How did your dad get involved in that scene musically, 85 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: so in the fifties he was playing in a band. 86 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: In the fifties he was a drummer and he played 87 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: in band called the Ricochets in New Zealand and in 88 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 1: the fifties. Rock and roll happened in the mid fifties right, 89 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: so made its way down to New Zealand. My dad 90 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,920 Speaker 1: got obsessed with rock and roll and consequently American movies, 91 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: American cars. We always had American cars growing up, which 92 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: is crazy in Australia, and he was just in love 93 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: with America and he loved rock and roll in the fifties, 94 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: all through the sixties, and then in the late sixties 95 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: when rock and roll kind of went in a in 96 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:53,719 Speaker 1: a bigger, kind of different direction than I mean, the 97 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:56,359 Speaker 1: origins of rock and roll is really rockabilly, you know. 98 00:04:56,400 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: There was there was a country element in early rock 99 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: and roll. So when rock then became more rock as 100 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: we knew it through the sixties seventies, my dad went, 101 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,920 Speaker 1: that's kind of a little too hard for me. And 102 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: here's the connection. There was a group called O Poso 103 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: Sako Singers, which was a folk group in the sixties, 104 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: and one of the members of that group was a 105 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 1: guy called Donald Williams, and then he broke away from 106 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: that group, dropped that Donald became Dom Williams and went 107 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: country and my dad just followed him. That was really it. 108 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: And so you growing up listening to that music, that 109 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:30,440 Speaker 1: was your music in the house. Yeah. Yeah, well, and 110 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: my mom loved Neil Diamond everly brothers. Um my brother 111 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:36,719 Speaker 1: was into E l O and Super Tramp and Eagles 112 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: and Fleet with Mac so that was old the fusion. 113 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:45,040 Speaker 1: How proficient was your dad with a guitar? Terrible with guitar, 114 00:05:45,240 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: great with drums, but terrible anguitar. So for you, was 115 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: it drums at first? Or were other people playing a 116 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 1: guitar around you and you're like, think that that's it 117 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,360 Speaker 1: for me? No, they said that mom and dad brought 118 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: me a ukulele when I was five, and I guess 119 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: it's a toy and and and my dad said I 120 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: could strum it in time with songs on the radio. 121 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,360 Speaker 1: I wasn't playing any cool with but the rhythm was there, 122 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: so um rhythm, which I mean possibly from him, definitely. Yeah. 123 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: And my grandfather played piano, so all of my dad's 124 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:18,479 Speaker 1: brother's role musical trumpet, piano, guitar, drums, four brothers, so 125 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: it was all musical and and I just took the guitar, 126 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,000 Speaker 1: I guess because of the ukulele. Was he the dad 127 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: that wanted you to follow in his few footsteps of Hey, 128 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: if I'm musical, I think it's called that your musical 129 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: or like so many people in the creative world, that's 130 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,960 Speaker 1: I've seen what a beast this can be. Like I 131 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: would like to push you away from it, unless you 132 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: push so hard back that you want to get in it. Yeah, 133 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 1: that that was it, definitely because I I I hated 134 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 1: I wasn't very disciplined as a kid. I don't know 135 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:47,039 Speaker 1: if you can relate to that, Bobby, But were you 136 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: disciplined as a kid, because are you discipline now? Yes? 137 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,800 Speaker 1: Because of the addiction that my mom had and my 138 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: dad left, you know, because I was by myself with 139 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 1: my dad bailing out when I was sick, my mom 140 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: being a drug addict her entire life. I was so 141 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: disciplined that I couldn't go down that path or I 142 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: was going to just go down the path and live 143 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: in that path. Um. So you know, even today, I've 144 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: never had a drink of alcohol because I feel the 145 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: addict in me with other things I do. So I 146 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: am extremely disciplined until I'm not, and then I'm off 147 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: the end and I have to find and I don't 148 00:07:25,400 --> 00:07:27,960 Speaker 1: know if you have to do this at times, well, 149 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: I have to find my healthy addictions. And I don't 150 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:32,400 Speaker 1: know if that's a if that's a safe thing to say, 151 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: but I need to be addicted to something, So I 152 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: have to find the healthiest thing for me to be 153 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: addicted to. Because my natural gravity is to go to 154 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: something and and and invest myself all the way in 155 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: it so much so that it is unhealthy. So I 156 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: gotta find the healthiest version of that, because it's just 157 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: in me intrinsically. Like I I yes, I am so 158 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: disciplined to a fault because I know I had one 159 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 1: instance where I really felt it and I do want 160 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: to get back to, you know, talking about your parents. 161 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 1: But at one instance when now I was UM, I 162 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: got jumped and got a gun to my head and 163 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: I had a bunch of like trauma in that way 164 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: where I got held at gunpoint, I had UM, I 165 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 1: have a house broken into. It was like a lot 166 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: of things happening when my career was just starting to 167 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: take off. And I didn't take it seriously yet, and 168 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: I was having some some threats from the outside and 169 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: I couldn't sleep, and so my doctor was like, hey, 170 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: you should if you can't sleep and you're sick, you 171 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 1: should take sleeping pills. Took them, had trouble with them, 172 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: couldn't get off of them, and I was like, oh 173 00:08:32,880 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: my god, are you him and staying up doing that 174 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: side of them? Well, yeah, I don't remember. I don't right, 175 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 1: I don't remember. And so I would take these sleeping pills, 176 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: and I remember the day where I went, oh, I'm stuck. 177 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: I'm stuck. And it was the only time because I 178 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: remember my mom, because you couldn't sleep without them, couldn't sleep, 179 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: but couldn't sleep without them. I felt like they were 180 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: tethered to me. Anywhere I went at any point, I 181 00:08:57,520 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 1: had to have them with me because if I needed 182 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 1: to sleep, that was the only way I could go. 183 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking, oh, I'm I can't I can't 184 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:07,280 Speaker 1: beat this right now, like this has got a hold 185 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: of me. And it was the only time that I 186 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: ever related to my mom because she had been in 187 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: rehabit and now and I always thought, why can't you 188 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: just beat it, but I just had a smidgen of it, 189 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,920 Speaker 1: and I was like, oh God, this is it. And 190 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: so because of that and how I grew up, I 191 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: am extremely disciplined. So did to answer your easy question 192 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: about life and music? You know, I do have that 193 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,680 Speaker 1: discipline in me from I gotta be or I'm gonna 194 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: go off. That makes sense and not be completely Yeah, 195 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:41,880 Speaker 1: so I was disciplined as a child. You were not disciplined. No, 196 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,839 Speaker 1: I wasn't. Um. I think just being an oddest comes 197 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,840 Speaker 1: with a sense of being able to create, and there's 198 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: so there's a sense of just freedom and liberation. Also 199 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:53,560 Speaker 1: as the youngest, you know, I had an older brother, 200 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: and I think it's not uncommon for the youngest sibling 201 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,959 Speaker 1: two potential be a little more like, well, everyone else 202 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,160 Speaker 1: takes care of everything. I'm fine, I'm just floating along. 203 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: So my older brother played music. How come you didn't 204 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:10,080 Speaker 1: get stuck with the bass. Yeah, he didn't play. We 205 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: started playing guitar at the exact same time I was six, 206 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: he was eight, and he started on a steel string 207 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:19,240 Speaker 1: acoustic and I started one with nylon strings, and he 208 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:22,880 Speaker 1: just couldn't hack it and gave up pretty quick. And 209 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 1: to your point about my dad. I went into my 210 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,640 Speaker 1: dad one time and said these strengths, these hate playing guitar, 211 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: and my dad is all right, but then don't do it. 212 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: And I was like, that's not what I wanted. I 213 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: wanted him to tell me I have to do it 214 00:10:35,559 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: and get into a fight. So it was kind of 215 00:10:37,440 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: reverse psychology that worked really well. What was the relationship 216 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: like with your dad and you as you became twelve, fourteen, 217 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:49,760 Speaker 1: sixteen years old? My dad's alcoholic was, um, he's not 218 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,360 Speaker 1: here anymore. Um, but he was an alcoholic his whole 219 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: life and never just never dealt with it, you know. 220 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: So my brother and I classic adult children of alcoholic 221 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:03,959 Speaker 1: raised and uh, I got the same genetic disposition as 222 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: my dad, and my brother didn't have that really just 223 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: doesn't have it. It's wild because I feel it. I 224 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: have it, and luckily I saw it early. But it's 225 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 1: crazy that you would have it and your brother doesn't. Yeah, 226 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: but then he has no hair and I have hair, 227 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 1: so it's a fair trade. Did you feel like as 228 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,319 Speaker 1: you tried to achieve musically, you were doing it for 229 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:29,960 Speaker 1: you or you were doing it somewhat to create a 230 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: bond to your dad? Maybe wasn't there because of other circumstances, 231 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: probably both, you know both, and you know, I think 232 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: um in the song we Have Wild Hearts, you know, 233 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 1: there's a song about it opens with Johnny Cash, you know, 234 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: sort of man in Black, because when I was five, dad, 235 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: mom and dad took us to see Johnny Cash, and 236 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: I remember so much about that concert. But the thing 237 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 1: I think that is subconsciously in me was I was 238 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: really taken by how my dad was staring at this 239 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: on stage and probably thinking how do I get my 240 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: dad to look at me like that? Right? Isn't that wild? Yeah? Yeah, 241 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: so I don't I don't know if I saw it. 242 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,319 Speaker 1: It's hard to know. Right was that Did I recognize 243 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: in that person on stage with the guitar? Did I 244 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: recognize something that I was going to do was something 245 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: that I wanted to do with something that I should do? 246 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. It doesn't really matter in the end. 247 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: When did it start to be And I'm not going 248 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: to say the word easy, I don't think that's fair 249 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: to you, but when did it start to be that 250 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: you had an understanding that you could actually create and 251 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 1: manipulate with that instrument? Tuesday this week, this week. You've 252 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,200 Speaker 1: been missing, You've been missing a lot. You've been doing 253 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: pretty good up until Tuesday. You've had us all full. 254 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,360 Speaker 1: Was it was it fourteen fifteen? Was it earlier than that, 255 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 1: where you're like, Okay, I can actually do this at 256 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,239 Speaker 1: a higher level than like my peers who are doing this. Uh. 257 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: I don't know if I've ever felt that way. No, 258 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 1: I think because you know, in Australia, yeah, because I've 259 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:05,160 Speaker 1: always been around people way better than me always, And 260 00:13:05,200 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 1: in Australia there's like the local guy playing in the 261 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,440 Speaker 1: cover band, because people go, who your influences? I'm like 262 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,480 Speaker 1: the guy in the local cover band Barried Clough and 263 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: then Dallas Seldom and then Ridge Grant and all these 264 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,480 Speaker 1: guys playing in cover bands. I'm twelve years old, thirteen 265 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 1: years old watching them gone, I wish you could play 266 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: that good. And then at some point you play that 267 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: good and so you're already looking to the next guy. 268 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: I wish you could play as good as him, and 269 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: you just your your influences, keep moving. Who was it 270 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: for you that was your favorite your first favorite artist 271 00:13:34,480 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 1: where you really clicked and you're like, that's my favorite 272 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,720 Speaker 1: your own. It's a good question. Gosh, I don't know. 273 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 1: For me. I'll vamp a bit as you think about 274 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: that so you can have a good answer for me. 275 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: You know, it was it was John Mayer whenever he 276 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: was starting, because I felt someone writing the things that 277 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: I was thinking and I never had had experienced that before. 278 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: He's a couple of years older than I am. But 279 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 1: I was like, wow, this guy one. I liked his tone, 280 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: I liked the style, but he was saying things. It 281 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: was like a really good comedian, you know how you go? Oh. 282 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: I always thought that I just didn't know what to 283 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: say it like that. It was the first time I've 284 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: ever heard that in song, and I thought, wow, he's 285 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: he's kind of speaking for me musically. Is the first 286 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: time that had ever happened. So he became my first 287 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: ever like, that's my favorite artist. There have been others 288 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: that that since I've done that. I'm a big Counting 289 00:14:21,120 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: Crows guy too, you know. Um, but John Mayer was 290 00:14:25,240 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 1: it for me. Now that I've given you a little time, 291 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: who do you think it is? Well, what I actually 292 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 1: think about is John Mellencamp is the is the guy 293 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: that's coming to mind. Um. The reason is I grew 294 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: up playing list country music right, going to all these 295 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:46,840 Speaker 1: talent quests and different competitions playing country music. But then 296 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: I got to be twelve, thirteen, fourteen. I left school 297 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: at fifteen. I was playing in a cover band at fifteen, 298 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:54,680 Speaker 1: so we just don't Top forty. And I'm playing in 299 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,400 Speaker 1: all the pubs in Australia, and the pubs are rough places, 300 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: you know, just concrete floor, will hose it out the 301 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: end of the night. Rough crowd, no holes barred. If 302 00:15:03,840 --> 00:15:06,480 Speaker 1: you suck, they will let you know you suck. And 303 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: I grew up playing in that very rock environment, and 304 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,320 Speaker 1: so I loved country. I loved rock. I love Top forty. 305 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, what the hell do I do? Who am I? Musically? 306 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,560 Speaker 1: And then John put out Loans from Jubilee, which is 307 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: an album that had songs like paper and Fire check 308 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: it out, Cherry Bomb Dada, and it was rock but 309 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 1: it had like fiddle and it had accordion and everything. 310 00:15:30,040 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: So we went to see him in concert. On that tour, 311 00:15:33,040 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: I was playing in a cover band. The band got tickets. 312 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,440 Speaker 1: We went to see him and were way up in 313 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: the nosebleeds in this arena. Him and the band comes 314 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: out and they play and it was. It was so 315 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: insanely great and it was rock, country something whatever the 316 00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: hell was going on. It was literally an epiphany. And 317 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: I saw what John was doing and I went, Oh, 318 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: that's the answer. You don't think about labels. Just take 319 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: all the things you love, figure out how to put 320 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: them together and make it be like this. And I 321 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:08,840 Speaker 1: was very lucky to meet John many many years later 322 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:11,040 Speaker 1: and tell him that story, and he said, it's so 323 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: great that that that's what you took away from that concert, 324 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 1: because most people leave the concert and go, I'm going 325 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: to do that. I'm gonna have fiddle in my bed 326 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: and you know, and just rip off Joe Mellencamp. But 327 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: what I took from it was just do your own thing. 328 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: Take all the things you love, and the original John Mellencamp, 329 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: obviously a Middle American guy who had country and rock 330 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 1: roots at the same time, incorporated the mall. How do 331 00:16:30,720 --> 00:16:32,960 Speaker 1: you see that affecting your show that you do now? Like, 332 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,680 Speaker 1: what are the surroundings that you've taken from your life 333 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: because you have a different kind of show. Yeah, of 334 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: really anyone, I mean, and I say that in the 335 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: most complimentary way. And I've told you this off on 336 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: microphone too, Like you do the best live show I've 337 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,600 Speaker 1: ever seen. You need to get out. I've seen a 338 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: lot of live shows. I'm jaded at this point too. 339 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: I'm extremely jaded. That's a higher compliment than thing it is. 340 00:16:54,240 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 1: Yeah it is. I've seen it all and I don't 341 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: care to see anymore because it's just part of the 342 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 1: life we live right until. But when you're moved, you're 343 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:03,120 Speaker 1: moved so hard when you're jaded, and to watch you perform, 344 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 1: I I leave and I'm like, God, dang, I just 345 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,760 Speaker 1: I thought i'd seen it all. So because of that, 346 00:17:09,800 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: your it is so so what do you take? What 347 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: are your influences that have created what is your project? 348 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,040 Speaker 1: In the same way that he had taken fiddle and 349 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:21,400 Speaker 1: he had taken you know, a different kind of percussion, yeah, um, 350 00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: and the different services of me as I play guitar. 351 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,280 Speaker 1: So that becomes a strong point of the of what 352 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:31,760 Speaker 1: I do. I love guitar riffs. I love catchy songs, 353 00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: you know, unapologetically energy too, and energy yeah, and fiercely 354 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:40,240 Speaker 1: in the moment presence absolutely and really giving a ship, 355 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 1: like really really, like this is the last gig I'll 356 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: ever play. Every gig is the last gig you'll ever play. 357 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:47,360 Speaker 1: That's what I think I want to talk about your 358 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: shows is not only is it musically wonderful and sonically 359 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: just the greatest, but there's so much energy there that 360 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: doesn't feel forced energy. It feels like pure energy. And 361 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: there's a difference. Sometimes you go out and you really 362 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: do I'm like, I'm gonna really work for this show, 363 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:04,040 Speaker 1: but it doesn't feel like work. It feels like that's 364 00:18:04,080 --> 00:18:06,720 Speaker 1: who you are as an artist, Like that's the most 365 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,879 Speaker 1: genuine version of you. And again, if you if you 366 00:18:08,880 --> 00:18:11,320 Speaker 1: haven't seen Keith's show, and honestly this wasn't leading up 367 00:18:11,320 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: to the promo of your tour yet your tickets are 368 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:16,199 Speaker 1: until today, which works in great into this um and 369 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:18,639 Speaker 1: it's the it's the greatest live show I think I've 370 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,880 Speaker 1: seen because and I don't know why you keep going 371 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:23,680 Speaker 1: into the audience. He may not not do that with COVID. 372 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 1: Now what I've just seen you do it so many times, 373 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:33,600 Speaker 1: like stop, like I'm worried for your own hell yeah, 374 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: like people, Um, we were talking to Jerry uh Flower. 375 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, he was Jerry Clower. Jerry Clowers one 376 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: of my favorites too. By the way, Jerry, Jerry Clower's 377 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,760 Speaker 1: only one time and he is just a pistol. Yeah. 378 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: So but the other Jerry, who you were in the 379 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: ranch with and who is your musical leader band director, 380 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,439 Speaker 1: I don't know. He said that you guys were doing 381 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 1: a private function and you ran into the crowd and 382 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 1: they were so high they started biting you. Oh yeah, 383 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: It's like wait, what, Like I knew that was going 384 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: to happen, but it's already happened. Like they pulled your 385 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:14,680 Speaker 1: shirt off and they were biting you, and you kind 386 00:19:14,680 --> 00:19:16,639 Speaker 1: of give off that door, like you you accept that. 387 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: So we try and feed people before this dame now 388 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: very passionate passion. Let me say this. The new American 389 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: tour The Speed of Now World to fifty three shows 390 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,119 Speaker 1: between June sevente and November five of two. There was 391 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:36,040 Speaker 1: a full list of dates and tickets right now at 392 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: keith Urban dot com. Let's go back whenever you're playing 393 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: in these cover bands, what was the ceiling for you 394 00:19:43,400 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: as far as for your career when you're fifteen, sixteen 395 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:50,000 Speaker 1: years old? What's the ceiling in your mind? How far 396 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: you can get in your career. I never thought of 397 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. It's so weird. I was never one 398 00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 1: of these kids with a plan at all, none, just 399 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: let's try and get better. I was playing in this 400 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 1: cover band that I talked about so many camp yah 401 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:08,800 Speaker 1: yah yeah, and I wasn't the lead singer. Was guitar playing? Uh? 402 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: We were, Well, it was for a cover band. We 403 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: were doing a couple of thousand people on it on 404 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:16,800 Speaker 1: a Sunday afternoon, which was a lot of people to 405 00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: come and see this cover band. But it was a 406 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: really good band. What was your role in the cover 407 00:20:20,359 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: band guitar and lead singer? Uh, well, we had a 408 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: lead singer that wasn't you. It wasn't me. Um. And 409 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: the only reason I joined this band was I had 410 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: a manager who was also managing this band. It's a 411 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: long story, but I had been in I've done duo, 412 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 1: as I've done bands. I've always had my own thing, right. 413 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:40,160 Speaker 1: It was always me was whatever. I was always doing 414 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: my thing. My manager thought I really need some frontman experience, 415 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: how to handle a crowd, how to put a set 416 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: list together, how to put on a show, how to 417 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 1: just lead. And so he said, I've got this band. 418 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: I think you should join the band and watch this 419 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: front man, because he's amazing and you'll learn so much. 420 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 1: So I was with that band for about a year 421 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:59,119 Speaker 1: and he was right. I learned so much from that 422 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:01,199 Speaker 1: lead singer. But the but one of the things was 423 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: I wanted to do some original songs. We're doing all 424 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 1: these covers, and so I started writing a song and 425 00:21:08,600 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: he loved it, and the band learned it, and he 426 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: was going to even sing it, and it would be 427 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:15,800 Speaker 1: on the set list and I'll be looking at the 428 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: guys in the band, I'm like, here comes that song. 429 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: He comes a song, We're gonna get to do a song, 430 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,440 Speaker 1: and he would bail on it every time. He'd be like, no, 431 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: I skip that one. Let's do money Money, And I'm 432 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 1: like yeah. And after a while of that, I just 433 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: went and I'm not this is going nowhere. What are 434 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 1: you gonna do with covers? I want to want to 435 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: play original music. So I left the band and the 436 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: drummer and bass play I quit at the same time 437 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:48,199 Speaker 1: and came and joined me. And so then what do 438 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: you do? Is it a new name band? Is it 439 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: are you? It was just me, It was just solo. Um. 440 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 1: But then of course I couldn't get any work playing 441 00:21:55,160 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: original songs, and so we resorted to being another cover band, 442 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: but slipping in my own songs in between the covers 443 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,680 Speaker 1: at least. And so as you're doing your own music, 444 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:08,040 Speaker 1: are you in Australia at this point? Yeah, that's all 445 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,320 Speaker 1: in Australia. Was the plan to get to the States 446 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: at some point? Yeah, but I didn't know how when 447 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: nothing knew nothing about that? Then how did you? So? 448 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 1: Nine my manager got some tickets for us to come 449 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,760 Speaker 1: over to America, and we came to Nashville and has 450 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: been played down at the shownees which was on to 451 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: Monbrian and pitched my crappy demo to all the labels, 452 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:37,560 Speaker 1: met with complete silence. Is it now? It was met 453 00:22:37,600 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: with complete silence because that's your big, famous and successful 454 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 1: or was it really met with complete silence? Oh? No, 455 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 1: it was terrible. First of all, was a terrible demo, which, 456 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: of course, when you come from if you're not from here, 457 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 1: you think it's pretty pretty good, because it's pretty good 458 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:52,560 Speaker 1: from where you come from, but it's pretty crap when 459 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: you get here compared everything else. And I was just 460 00:22:57,600 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: out of out of step, out of place, out of 461 00:23:00,200 --> 00:23:03,600 Speaker 1: my music didn't fit at all, So what made you 462 00:23:03,640 --> 00:23:07,639 Speaker 1: think that you could stay and thrive? Because Nashville was 463 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,359 Speaker 1: like sixteenth and seventeen to have. And I got here 464 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: and I went, this is it? Is this it this 465 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:17,720 Speaker 1: is the legendary iconic music row, Like that's it, my god, 466 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 1: this is this is fantastic. It's not New York City. 467 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: It's not like this is I'm at home. I love 468 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,360 Speaker 1: it here. It's great, and I didn't want to leave. 469 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: And I also foolishly thought we'll get I'll get here 470 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: and I'll start writing songs and I'll record and boom, 471 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:33,639 Speaker 1: we'll be often running in no time. And man, the 472 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: years just went by and by what were you doing? 473 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 1: And could you make money though at the time, Like 474 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: if you're coming from Australia and you're just visiting, were 475 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: you able to make money? So I signed a publishing 476 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,040 Speaker 1: deal with a company in Australia that had an office 477 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: in Nashville. It's very small, little wage to where it's 478 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: not even a wage. What is it like money that 479 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to pay him back? Right? So I'd 480 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: come over for a couple of weeks on my own, 481 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,959 Speaker 1: stay with crash with somebody at their house. Gone right, 482 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: songs every day with whoever they've put me with. You 483 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: know that thing that we do here in Nashville professional songwriters. 484 00:24:07,480 --> 00:24:09,439 Speaker 1: Whenever the new kid in town is, they throw them 485 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:11,639 Speaker 1: in with the pro songwriters and see if something happens. 486 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: Was that weird for you, by the way, because that 487 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: was the culture and you've been writing probably by yourself. Yeah, 488 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: but yeah, it was really difficult. I also was nowhere, 489 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,520 Speaker 1: you're good enough yet, and so I'm getting with really 490 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 1: great pro writers and I just I sucked. I just 491 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:29,360 Speaker 1: had so much to learn that was excruciating. And are 492 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: you learning or are you overwhelmed? I think? And also 493 00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 1: frustrated the way in which I would write with my 494 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: drum machine and my bass or a banjo or something, 495 00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: and always with a groove. Always. I would never sit 496 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:44,680 Speaker 1: with a guitar in a legal pad in a windowless room. 497 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 1: So were you an early track guy? Yeah, definitely, because 498 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: I like I like them well, because I write from 499 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 1: the music out. The music is trying to tell a story, 500 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: and then I extrapolate the story from the music. Will 501 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:02,719 Speaker 1: you write songs with melody? First? Um, just straight melody? 502 00:25:02,760 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 1: Will you write a melody and that's what you have? 503 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,600 Speaker 1: Then you create around the melody. Are you more prone 504 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 1: to do that when writing if you're starting from scratch 505 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,119 Speaker 1: or an idea a lyric, like where do you like 506 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,640 Speaker 1: to start? If you get to choose, If I get 507 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,119 Speaker 1: to choose, I like a groove. A beat doesn't have 508 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,320 Speaker 1: to be fast, just any kind of beat that I 509 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 1: can then play along with, whether it's bass, guitar, guitar, piano, something, banjo, 510 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: whatever the matter, just something that you pick up and 511 00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: just respond to. And then a melody comes, A melody 512 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: comes of some sort, and then you I think the 513 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 1: music has an emotion about it's trying to say something. 514 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, somebody like you. You know. That song started 515 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: from flying out to l A meeting this guy John Shanks. 516 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:50,240 Speaker 1: So I didn't know. Um, I was so nervous to 517 00:25:50,359 --> 00:25:53,040 Speaker 1: meet with some l A guy, you know, And I'm like, 518 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 1: what do I know. I've showed up with my banjo 519 00:25:55,359 --> 00:25:57,399 Speaker 1: and everything. And before I went to the session, I 520 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: went to this Irish pub and I had a pint 521 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: of guinness and it was like ten in the morning 522 00:26:02,480 --> 00:26:04,600 Speaker 1: and it was really good sad. Another one and that 523 00:26:04,680 --> 00:26:06,639 Speaker 1: was a really good sad, Like a third one. I 524 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: get in my car, drive over to the student know 525 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: where he is and by and by then I walked 526 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: in and I felt pretty pretty just not bulletproof, but 527 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:20,439 Speaker 1: I felt very relaxed, very confident, you know. And he 528 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:25,320 Speaker 1: had this little drum machine and it was going, that's 529 00:26:25,359 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: all it was doing. And I pulled my banjo out 530 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:30,640 Speaker 1: of the case and go dang, the dang, the dan, dang, 531 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: dang and dang, and no idea why, just it just 532 00:26:34,160 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 1: came out and we're like, oh, it feels good. What 533 00:26:37,520 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 1: do we do with that? You know? It's in Then 534 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: the sound and nothing, sundown and suders something, gotta find 535 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,800 Speaker 1: some words and that's that's it, and then you just 536 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:52,040 Speaker 1: the rest comes. You're creating that vocal melody too, without 537 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,600 Speaker 1: putting the words on. Yeah yeah, so blah blah blah. 538 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,000 Speaker 1: So that that that, and then you'll go would you 539 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,040 Speaker 1: record that? You go back over and go, okay, you 540 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,360 Speaker 1: know what's down here? Yeah? Well a lot of times 541 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:05,120 Speaker 1: it Gibberish is actually trying to say something like you'll 542 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:06,959 Speaker 1: listen to the tape which way had a tape then 543 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 1: and it would be and then you're like, oh, there's 544 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,479 Speaker 1: a never there was that a new win something right, 545 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: there now and never never known. Sounds like it's like screw, 546 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:22,200 Speaker 1: it's all in there. I think Mick Jagger calls it 547 00:27:22,320 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: making foul movements. Great. So as you're here and you're 548 00:27:33,920 --> 00:27:35,920 Speaker 1: learning to write, when does the ranch start to be 549 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:41,720 Speaker 1: a thing? Uh? Well? Um, this three piece band that 550 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: I mentioned, I had drummer and bass playoff that I 551 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: took from this cover band. I thought, well, let's let's 552 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: head over at the Nashville and New some shows. You know, 553 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: all I can bring is base play and drums. I've 554 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: got no money, I can't afford anything. Um. By right 555 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,880 Speaker 1: around that time, I actually had built out a five 556 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: piece band. I signed a rec deal in Australia, did 557 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: did an album. Put two more guys in my band, 558 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: keyboard and guitar. So I drums, bass, keyboard, guitar and 559 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:13,439 Speaker 1: me and we're touring around playing these songs off my album. 560 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 1: So it was starting to happen. In Stay. It was popping, 561 00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 1: had a song on the radio and I was like, 562 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: here we go. It's great, you know, but all I 563 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:20,479 Speaker 1: wanted to do is come to Nashville. I couldn't bring 564 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: the whole band, so I could bring bass and drums 565 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: at least I could bring and make a sound out 566 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 1: of it. My bass plan Drama were the two guys 567 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:29,840 Speaker 1: that didn't sing, so I had no harmony, no nothing. 568 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: So my bass player went back to Australia and I 569 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: found a singing bass player from Florida and we played 570 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: for a year or so, and then he went back 571 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:42,200 Speaker 1: to Florida and we found Jerry who came in and 572 00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:45,600 Speaker 1: took over. So we were free piece because of no money. 573 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:49,440 Speaker 1: It was not my preference. That just couldn't afford anymore players, 574 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,760 Speaker 1: and that eventually became the Ranch. What's interesting about that 575 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 1: if we were playing back some of the Ranch stuff 576 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 1: with Jerry, and it feels like it was just ahead 577 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,400 Speaker 1: of its time like that, that music, and we were 578 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: listening to some demos and some old some more you know, 579 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:07,800 Speaker 1: Ranch cuts, it feels like seven years later that probably hits. 580 00:29:08,600 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: Do you feel like it was a bit advanced musically 581 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: and that's why it didn't work at the time. Yeah, 582 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: it certainly didn't sound like anything on radio, and that 583 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,120 Speaker 1: that's always the thing, you know with the record we 584 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 1: made in just didn't sound like anything on the radio. 585 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,160 Speaker 1: It was hell making that record because we were signed 586 00:29:29,160 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: to Warner brothers, and we went in with every quarter 587 00:29:33,480 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: pointed producer in town. Ah, every one of those situations 588 00:29:39,280 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: didn't work because what happens is we would either sound 589 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: like us, which didn't sound like the radio, or we 590 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: would sound like something that could go on the radio. 591 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 1: It didn't sound like us, and we were just in 592 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: hell and just no matter what we did, we just 593 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: couldn't make it, couldn't make it work. Was there someone 594 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,840 Speaker 1: that was betting on you though, as Keith Urban, Like Okay, 595 00:29:57,880 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: the ranch didn't work, but we still have faith in you. 596 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: And so many times in this town, once you don't 597 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:03,360 Speaker 1: make it, people are like, well, you're just not gonna 598 00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: make it. I see it all the time, like, well 599 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: you didn't make it, probably not for you. Was there 600 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: anyone that was like, hey, I know that didn't work 601 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,080 Speaker 1: and maybe it was just you. Was there anyone that 602 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 1: was like, hey, you have that star, like let's keep 603 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: going and try to figure out who Keith Urban is 604 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: instead of this three piece? I think that was me. 605 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:24,640 Speaker 1: I mean I just had that burning belief. I know 606 00:30:24,760 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: wise because I was I'd grown up on all this music. 607 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,400 Speaker 1: I knew how to make the music, but I didn't 608 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: know how to make it with this band. This band 609 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: had a unique sound about it, and the band wasn't 610 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,360 Speaker 1: I wasn't trying to get the band signed, you know. 611 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: The van wasn't in the plan. Originally it morphed into that. 612 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 1: So it was originally you, it was me. It was 613 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,200 Speaker 1: me and my most player and drummer. We didn't have 614 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: a name. It was just my name. But we got 615 00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: messed around with so much by the record company, and 616 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,120 Speaker 1: the tipping point was over at that label, at Warner 617 00:30:56,160 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: Brothers at the time. They just signed me, not the 618 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,840 Speaker 1: other two guys, and we made the record, and they said, oh, 619 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna send you guys out maybe to play some 620 00:31:05,520 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 1: of these songs. But actually we're not sending you guys out. 621 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: We're just gonna put a house band together, and I'm 622 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: going to send out you, Keith, and about four other 623 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: artists on our label, and you guys will all share 624 00:31:14,640 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 1: the same band. And I went, no, I won't. You're like, 625 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 1: what do you mean. I go, I'm not, I'm not. 626 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:23,000 Speaker 1: I'm not playing with just I got a band, take 627 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,080 Speaker 1: my band with me. And they're like, yeah, but we 628 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: didn't sign your band, And I go, no, I know, 629 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: but I mean they're my band. It doesn't make sense 630 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: when I play with someone else. And uh, when we 631 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:34,520 Speaker 1: got dropped from that label and went over to Capital, 632 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: I said, you have to sign everybody, and I'm I'm 633 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: going to get rid of my name. To the hell 634 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: with it, getting rid of my name. We're doing it, 635 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: you know. And I had so many people around me saying, 636 00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: don't do that, don't don't drop your name and just 637 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: lose yourself in the band. But that's what I did.