It’s safe to say Keith Urban is on the Foy Vance bandwagon.
Keith surprised viewers during the 2019 ACM Awards in April when he performed a live cover of little-known song, “Burden,” which was penned by Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance. The tune, which originally appeared on Foy’s 2016 album, The Wild Swan, had a profound impact on Keith when he heard it for the first time in March.
“We played at the 02 in London and Ed [Sheeran] came out to see us play,” says Keith. “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 nonstop. 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.’”
Keith contacted producer Dave Cobb, who he had never worked with, and recorded the song in Nashville.
Fast-forward a little more than a month later . . . Foy joined Keith in studio in Nashville to record a video of the two performing an acoustic version of “Burden.”
“Spent some time in studio with the wildly and celestially talented @foyvance—they don’t make em like him anymore…. I don’t even think it’s legal!!! – KU,” said Keith on Instagram.
Watch Keith and Foy perform “Burden” below.
photo courtesy Keith Urban