Keith Urban Says Quarantine ‘Affected My Center’

For someone who’s used to being on the road for the majority of the year, a forced quarantine like the one many people are currently experiencing can be a difficult situation to adjust to. That was what Keith Urban experienced as the coronavirus pandemic made its way to the United States, shutting down touring and effectively forcing everyone to stay inside. Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Urban revealed that being at home made him realize just how much his creativity is impacted by playing live shows and that he had to make some adjustments to feel like himself again.

“Someone the other day, I just called someone on the phone and they’re like, ‘Hey, Hey, how you doing?’ I said, ‘That’s such a complicated question these days. Would you start with something easier?’” he recalled. “I discovered that I derive too much of my artistic confidence from playing live and being in the studio and when those two things got taken out from under me, it affected my center as a creative person, so I had to figure my way back to that creative place with confidence. That took a little while.”

“Remember Jim Carrey’s character in Dumb and Dumber in the bathroom stall when he’s sucking his thumb, quivering in the corner?” he continued. “That’s about what I felt like for the first two weeks of this whole thing because, especially when it became more apparent we’re not going to be touring for a while. I’m just like, ‘Nope. What? No, no, no, no.’ Always toured. Always toured. Must tour. Trying to keep being creative in this new singular realm was a bit of a turn for me.”

He might be off the road, but Urban hasn’t stopped performing for fans, hosting several Instagram Live concerts and sharing performances for television specials including ACM Presents: Our Country and One World: Together at Home. The latter show featured a cameo from Urban’s wife Nicole Kidman, who is quarantining with the musician at home with their two daughters, Sunday and Faith.

We’re all good, the family’s good,” Urban recently told Entertainment Tonight, adding that he and Kidman are spending lots of time with their miniature poodle and playing games with their daughters. “Everybody’s healthy and staying active,” he said. “Lots and lots of family time. I’m actually really enjoying that, honestly.” The singer added that his family has been “creative,” which is key for him. “I guess no matter what you do or where you are, somehow we’ve got to keep staying as creative as we possibly can — so a guy like me doesn’t go crazy,” he explained. “[We are] just being creative as a family with how we use our time and help other people in any ways we can do, even if it is something like an at-home concert. It’s our little bit to try and help out.”