Keith Urban Releases 'Graffiti U' Trailer in Advance of Album

Keith Urban is releasing a preview trailer, in advance of his upcoming new album, Graffiti U, which will be available this Friday, April 24.

"There were no parameters or preconceived ideas," says Urban of the new set of tunes. "I began this process with a completely blank canvas. Every initial spark is organic and then expanded upon, like the art of graffiti, so the name really fit the music.

The singer came up with the title long after he started working in the studio.

"The title of 'Graffiti U' came quite a way into recording," Urban shares. "I was trying to find something that felt like all the songs. And I thought, it's a very expressive album, musically. It's very honest. It's very pure expression from me. The studio's like a blank canvas, and the more I thought about that, the more I thought about graffiti. The word 'graffiti' kept coming to me. It felt right. Then I thought, well there's also the audience. That's what the 'U' is. It's inclusive. I just simply changed 'U' to the first letter of my last name."

The songs on Graffiti U cover a broad spectrum of both sounds and subjects, but Urban says when they are put together, they make one cohesive project that he is immensely proud of.

"As much as they change, stylistically there might be a real wide range of styles and feels and energies covered on the record," says Urban. "I think there's a very strong through line, and that's my contribution to it, either in the writing or certainly in the producing, because I'm involved in every track."

Urban has come a long way since the release of his self-titled album in 1999, his first solo release. But the 50-year-old says he still as a long way to go.

"For me every record is a very natural progression from the previous one. The last three albums – Fuse, Ripcord and Graffiti U – I think have become broader in a lot of ways than the previous album, because I've been collaborating a lot more. And that really came about from writing with a lot of people who also produce. So every song on Graffiti U, except one, every other song, my co-producer is also a writer. I think that's what has opened up the sound and the feel of all the albums, particularly Graffiti U."

Urban is most excited about getting to play the album tracks on his upcoming Graffiti U Tour, with Kelsea Ballerini serving as his opening act, and Lindsay Ell joining him for his Canadian dates.

"The great part about me finishing an album, always, especially with Graffiti U, is getting these songs out on the road, which we're about to do," says Urban. "So many songs on this record are built for playing live. There's an electricity about them. And it's going to be great to see them stretch out, and morph into other things live. I can't wait."

Urban's Graffiti U Tour will kick off on June 15. Dates can be found on his website.

Pre-order Graffiti U on Amazon and iTunes.

Photo Credit: YouTube