Jordan Harvey Says Keith Urban Inspired Him to Come to America
If you want to make country music, Nashville is the place to do it. Jordan Harvey realized this early on in his musical journey and took a big leap of faith moving overseas, but he had a major star's trajectory to use as a map.
"I up and came to Nashville with very, very, very little money in my bank account. I think I had like $230 to my name," the Scotland native tells Taste of Country's Adison Haager. "I just knew that if I really wanted to tell my story in country music, I had to live and breathe it."
The decision was made slightly easier given Keith Urban's success — he moved from Australia to Music City and has gone on to become one of the biggest names in the genre. Harvey is a big fan of the "Wild Hearts" singer and has long admired his gumption for chasing his musical dreams to another continent. Seeing Urban's success just stoked Harvey's fire all the more.
"He's an inspiration for kids that aren't necessarily from here and he was the first guy to go, 'You can push yourself out of your comfort zone and you can do it,'" Harvey shares in an Instagram Live.
"I think for me being here in Nashville was also a big thanks to him. For him paving the way for young kids showing that you can do it. And hopefully I can be the next one to do that for people," he adds.
Harvey's music is also influenced by Urban — many of his songs seem to nod to some of the Aussie's early hits. In fact, the "Alabama Girl" singer says he's got another song he's about to cut that will definitely have Urban's fans signing along. And he's got the perfect plan to get it in front of Urban himself.
"So, I basically think we have the power of social media now. I think once I release that song I'm just going to tag him in everything to the point where he's just like, 'Ok, who is this kid? Can he please go away?'"
Despite growing up an entire ocean away from Nashville, Harvey says country music has always been a part of his life. In the U.K., pop and Brit pop are big genres, but his father was always a big fan of country music.
"Growing up in Scotland, my dad worked three jobs," he recounts, "But in the early hours of the morning, he worked as a motor mechanic, and he always used to play Johnny Cash records. It was something that was a part of my upbringing."
"I always tell this story of how my dad used to literally sit on the sofa in the evening in black pajamas and a cowboy hat with a scotch and be like, 'I'm the man in black,'" Harvey adds. "And I'd be like, 'No dad, you're a guy in black pajamas watching Love Island.'"
It was Harvey's father who encourage him to pack up and move to Nashville. Harvey says he spent quite a bit of time working in music and playin in bars before his dad presented the idea. His father is a man of few words, so when he said, "You should move to Nashville," the young hopeful didn't hesitate.
He has yet to cross paths with Urban, but hopes to steal some time with the Grammy winner someday.
"I'm sure he hears it a lot, but I would love to just sit there one day and tell him how impactful his music has been and to a lot of people," Harvey says. "Especially a young kid in Scotland who always looked up to him."
"And Nicole Kidman is awesome," he throws in. "Big Nicole Kidman fan."