While touring to support his 2010 album 'Get Closer,' Keith Urban said he wanted to make an effort to literally get closer to fans. So, the musician had a stage constructed that allows him to mingle with the crowd, as well as smaller, more intimate stages interspersed throughout each venue. "This tour is about making a real connection with the audience, finding a way to engage with everybody that doesn’t always rely on massive video walls," he told Taste of Country.

Urban also credited fellow Australian musicians AC/DC with inspiring the driving beat behind his new single 'Long Hot Summer.' "It’s probably my AC/DC upbringing. I’ve always loved 4/4 tunes that are four-on-the-floor and just really want to rock," he said.

Urban said that working with Richard Marx, the co-author of the single, was effortless and a "no brainer." "Like me, he loves a huge singalong chorus and a song that makes you want to turn it up and blast it," he said.

 

More From WBKR-FM