It was 31 years ago that Keith Urban made his first trip to the United States from Australia, where he was raised. The New Zealand-born star had already made a name for himself in his homeland, but had dreams of a career in country music in America, although he admits his first attempt at introducing himself didn’t go quite as planned.

“1989 was the first year I came to the States,” Keith shared with UMG. “It had always been my goal, but I had no plan on how to get here. It was just a case of keep playing, keep getting better at what you do, and then hopefully, somehow, some way I’ll end up over here. The guy who was managing me at the time, we just planned a trip over here – it was actually for the New Music Seminar in New York.

“We came over for that, and then we did a trip down to Nashville, and I shopped my little demo around,” he continued. “I think I humored everybody more than anything else [laughs] with my tragic, ill-fitting demo for the time. So, I left there, but I was just so committed to coming back as quick as I could.”

Keith may not have felt like he put his best foot forward with his initial demo, but thanks to his persistence, eventually Nashville latched on to the innovative music Keith was making. By 1992, after a couple of years of traveling back and forth, Keith made the permanent move to Music City, although it hasn’t always been easy for him.

“Definitely, there were times when I didn’t know what else to do, through the mid- to late ‘90s, which, not coincidentally, was my first trip to Cumberland Heights [rehab center], in 1998,” Keith previously said (via The Boot). Because I didn’t know how to cope, I didn’t know what else to do, I didn’t have the structure or support. When you’re doing your best and it’s not working, I’m not quite sure what to do next, because I felt like, I’m doing my best. I’m not sure what else to do, other than keep doing it and wait for something to break.”

Something definitely did break for Keith. After releasing an album with his band, The Ranch, in 1997, he launched his solo career in 1999 with his self-titled record, which included the No. 1 hit, “But For the Grace of God.”

Keith will release The Speed of Now Part 1 on September 18. It is currently available for pre-order at Amazon.