“The
brevity of the song spoke to me as someone that has needed to hear that
in my life and needed to hear that offered to
me. I love songs that speak to the human condition of struggle and the
idea that it’s okay, I can help you…let me carry your burden.”
This past Sunday on the 54th
Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, Keith Urban took to the stage
to deliver an emotionally charged and impassioned performance
of
“Burden,” originally written and recorded by Irish singer/songwriter
Foy Vance.
Now in a two-minute video,
The Story Behind “Burden,” which can be seen athttp://smarturl.it/KU-Burden,Urban, the now reigning ACM and CMA Entertainer of the Year, explains how his concert in London led him to
Ed Sheeran, a two-hour bicycle ride through London and his
compulsion to record and perform “Burden” at the Academy of Country
Music Awards.
“We
played at the 02 in London and Ed (Sheeran) came out to see us play,”
explains Urban. “We talked about Foy (Vance), who’s an incredible
musician and songwriter. The
next day, I had a day off in London, so I got on my bike and put my
headphones on and road around London for like two hours listening to Foy
non-stop.”
“And
when I got back to Nashville, I realized that I had never seen him play
live – he must be fantastic – so I jumped on YouTube and heard this
song “Burden” and just
fell in love with him. I thought, ‘I’d love to be able to do a version
of the song – the way that I was feeling it in my heart.’”
So
with technology as it is today, with the ability for artists to share
music in real-time, that’s what Urban did and “Burden” can now be
streamed athttp://strm.to/Burden.
Recorded
in Nashville with co-producer Dave Cobb, the song is a “beautifully
written, minimalist prayer” that Urban says spoke to him. “Like the
paint that’s drying on
a heart that’s broke. Let me carry your burden.”
For more official Keith Urban news and information, go toor follow him atwww.keithurban.netor follow him atwww.facebook.com/KeithUrban, www.twitter.com/KeithUrban,or www.instagram.com/KeithUrban