Keith Urban Releases Yacht Rock Covers Album 'Flow State'
Multi-Grammy winner Keith Urban has released his new album, "Flow State," featuring 10 remakes of classic 1970s soft rock tunes, commonly known as yacht rock, and one original track. Urban describes the album's title as reflecting a state of being "completely present and completely lost to the moment." The project initially began as a way for Urban to test his newly acquired Nashville studio, The Sound, formerly The Tracking Room Studio, evolving into a full-fledged album with producer Dann Huff.
Keith Urban has unveiled his latest album, "Flow State," which features a collection of yacht rock covers and one original song. The album includes 10 remakes of classic soft rock tunes from the 1970s, which Urban says are meant to evoke a sense of calm and escape.
Urban described the meaning behind the album's title, "Flow State," as a "beautiful dichotomy of completely present and completely lost to the moment." He noted that the album aims to capture a feeling of "blue skies and a little bit of a breeze and no worries," providing listeners with a "moment of exhale."
The tracklist includes Urban's renditions of songs such as Seals & Crofts' “Summer Breeze,” Player’s “Baby Come Back,” Stephen Bishop’s “On & On,” and Ambrosia’s “How Much I Feel.” Urban chose songs that aligned with his vocal capabilities, acknowledging the significant vocal range of original artists like Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald.
The project originated as an experiment to break in Urban's new Nashville studio, The Sound, which he acquired and renamed from The Tracking Room Studio. Under the guidance of producer Dann Huff, the endeavor quickly developed into a complete album. Huff suggested that elements of this genre were already present in Urban’s songwriting, explaining the organic fit of the yacht rock style to his music.
Urban also shared that he has already selected 10 songs for a potential second volume of yacht rock covers, should the current album prove popular. He found the process of covering these songs efficient due to their "bulletproof" original arrangements, allowing him to focus on infusing his own artistic direction into the tracks.
According to Billboard, Urban discussed his dive into yacht rock, his process for selecting collaborators, and the possibility of a follow-up album.
