Rolling Stone Australia has today announced Keith Urban as its cover artist for its upcoming sixth issue, September 2021.
The four-time Grammy winning artist graces the cover of the forthcoming issue, marking his first time ever to be anointed with the cover of Rolling Stone.
Keith Urban, photographed in Sydney on 23 July 2021, by Tim Ashton (@timjohntom)
Delving into the curious mind of Keith Urban, the cover feature profiles one of the world’s biggest music stars, from the New Zealand-born, Australia-raised Americana-lover, through his years on both sides of drug and alcohol abuse, to becoming a global export with 24 country number one hits and a stack of multi-Platinum records.
The feature includes interviews wth Taylor Swift, Nile Rodgers, and John Mayer, who all candidly shared what they love most about him and the impact he has had. Keith Urban is renowned for leading a sonic change for country music in the Nineties with his deep passion for genre-fluidity. Urban’s most recent #1 album, The Speed Of Now Pt.1, is the latest in a long line of record testaments to this, clearly showing his passions for hip hop, British breakbeat, and every genre in-between with features from P!nk, Nile Rodgers, and Breland.
Rolling Stone Australia‘s Managing Editor Poppy Reid was lucky enough to hang out with Keith multiple times for this feature. The most recent of which was at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, where he’s set to perform twice this December when he kicks off his Speed Of Now global tour.
“Looking back now, we were extremely lucky to have so much face-to-face time with Keith,” says Poppy Reid. “Our most recent chat at Qudos Bank Arena, a location he chose, just happened to be at 11am last month. So while we were sitting on socially distanced seats in the empty arena where Keith played me three unreleased songs, the NSW Premier was announcing tighter lockdown restrictions to be brought in that evening.
“To me, despite his 31-year career so far, Keith Urban is one of the most exciting and interesting artists we’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting to at Rolling Stone Australia,” Reid adds. “For an artist who has been in the game this long, and especially given his close ties to country music, Keith is uncharacteristically genre-less. You only need a cursory listen of his last few records to hear how difficult it is to pigeon-hole his music.
“Across the many privileged hours I got to spend with Keith in Sydney, I was so grateful to experience how open, grounded and curious he was. He was extremely generous with his time, and spoke candidly about his life and the things that are important to him. He’s the real deal!”
The cover photo was taken in Sydney on 23 July 2021, by Tim Ashton. Urban was styled by Nichhia Wippell, and he wears own Gucci coat and jewellery and grooming was done by Sophie Roberts.
Katie Taylor, Rolling Stone Australia Creative Director & Designer said: “It was an honour to work on Keith Urban’s Rolling Stone cover to bring two icons together. I love this cover as much as I love Keith and his music… which is a lot. He is a man of creative excellence and the end result speaks for itself.
“Photographer Tim Ashton hit the brief perfectly and it is testament to his work that we are able to show Keith in this light,” Taylor added. “I’m so looking forward to the release of this magazine on September 6.”
If you’re eager to get your hands on the latest issue of Rolling Stone Australia, then now is the time to sign up for a subscription. New subscribers will receive two magazine issues if they sign up now, including a copy of the collector’s edition (the 50 Greatest Australian Artists of All Time issue), the Chet Faker edition, out now, and the Keith Urban edition in September.
Arriving on September 6th, the next issue of the magazine is set to continue the publication’s status as a major addition to the music and publishing industry, ensuring lovers of music, politics, and culture have everything they could ever dream of in one sharp homegrown package, while also helping to support long form journalism in the process.
Whether you’re just a fan of music, you’re a supporter of the local music scene, or you enjoy the thrill of print and long form journalism, then Rolling Stone Australia is exactly what you need. Click on the link below for more information regarding our subscription service.
SUBSCRIBE HERE
To celebrate the announcement of the new cover, Rolling Stone Australia is giving you the chance to win a ‘Squier by Fender’ Bullet Stratocaster guitar, signed by Keith Urban himself. Read more about how to win the guitar here.
