Keith Urban’s newest project is shining a light on his reality away from the stage.
In a sneak peek of the series premiere of The Road, the country singer shared a glimpse into his life on tour before news of his split from Nicole Kidman broke.
“Where do we start? It’s a calling, and you’re going to do it or you’re not going to make it,” Urban, 57, explained, via the Daily Mail. “When you wake up on a tour bus at 3:30 in the morning and you’re sick as a dog, you’re in the middle of nowhere and you’ve got to play your fifth show later that night, and you haven’t slept, and you miss your friends, and you’re missing your family, and you’re completely lonely and miserable and sick — and you say to yourself, ‘Why am I doing this?’”
As for what keeps Urban going? It all boils down to a passion that can’t be ignored.
Meet the Musicians Competing as Opening Acts for Keith Urban in ‘The Road’
“The only answer can be: because this is what I’m born to do,” he shared before introducing the CBS show’s contestants. “We’re going to find out who’s made for that stuff.”
The Road is CBS’ new music competition series that follows 12 emerging musicians as they compete to become opening acts for Urban at music venues across America.
“Without a shiny floor in sight, the docu-follow format captures the high-stakes unfiltered musical journeys of these triple threats — singers, songwriters and instrumentalists — offering a backstage pass into the gritty and unforgiving life of a touring musician,” reads the official synopsis for the series. “With exclusive access to behind-the-scenes workings of the music industry, viewers will see what happens when some of the best emerging musicians pile into a tour bus and tackle a grueling schedule in pursuit of their dreams.”
The show was filmed months before news broke that Urban and Kidman, 58, were splitting after 19 years of marriage.
Us Weekly confirmed in September that the “Somebody Like You” singer and Big Little Lies actress had separated. Soon after, Kidman filed for divorce from her husband, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
“They had been quietly separated for a while now but needed time to figure out if they were going to actually divorce,” a well-connected Nashville source exclusively shared with Us. “She had faith they could work it out.”
Behind the scenes, the insider explained that both parties had been spending “a lot of time apart due to work commitments” and had been living “separate lives.”
“They are moving in two different directions, and their worlds are not overlapping as much as they once did,” the source shared. “The distance between them had grown more obvious recently.”
Relationships aside, Urban said he had a blast filming The Road, which was created by Blake Shelton and Yellowstone cocreator Taylor Sheridan.
‘The Road’ Trailer Reveals Grand Prize of Blake Shelton, Keith Urban’s Show
While at the finale taping of The Road, Urban reiterated how just much discipline is needed to succeed in the music industry.
“I just played a show in Vegas last night and I had another one tomorrow night, and [taping] this finale fell in between. So I came home after the show last night, got in at 5 a.m., here we are, and then take off tomorrow, go to Vegas,” Urban told Us. “I think that never changes, as far as the discipline required to do what we do.”
The Road premieres on CBS Sunday, October 19, at 9 p.m. ET.
