Keith Urban is working on a followup album to his 2013's Fuse, although he's just getting started.

In an interview with Billboard, Urban shares that he's currently laying the groundwork for the next album, which will be his ninth studio release. "I'm sort of doing the preliminary work of figuring out what the next record is," the singer says.

"It's reaching out and talking with people about working with them in the studio, different writers. It's just lots of ideas and tinkering right now," Urban adds. "I sort of like the unknowingness of it. I get in the studio and don't know what we're gonna do, and that can be enlightening and sort of revelatory, or it can be incredibly frustrating."

Urban is still unsure when the album will be released, however. "It depends on who you ask," he admits, laughing. "I would say I would like to not have a timetable, but we do have to have an opening night for a tour to follow."

In recent years, the American Idol judge has cut back on his touring schedule in order to focus more of his time and energy on his family first and recording a new album second.

Urban's last single was "Raise 'Em Up," a duet with Eric Church. "It was a song I got sent," he explains, adding, "I just thought it was something Eric would love as well. I've known him a couple of years and I was hoping we could find something to do together, and this was it."

The "Cop Car" hitmaker does have a handful of appearances scheduled for the summer, including stops at Taste of Country's own music festival and Country Jam Colorado. Tim McGraw and Toby Keith are co-headliners at both events.

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