Keith Urban on the Freefall of Inspiration That Led to 'Ripcord'

For all its country curveballs, Ripcord — Keith Urban’s widest-reaching album to date, full of synthesizers, samplers, Steve Miller-inspired guitar leads and guest appearances by left-field collaborators like Pitbull and Chic’s Nile Rodgers — began simply enough: with a drum machine and a six-string banjo.

“I’ve written mostly with drum machines…