Keith Urban is back as a judge for his third season of American Idol, which begins airing after the first of the year. He, along with Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick Jr. and Ryan Seacrest (as host), are currently crisscrossing the country for the audition process. Last year’s judges’ panel seemed to really click and they all became friends, and Keith says it feels like no time has passed since they were behind the desks. The “Somewhere in My Car” singer has also noticed some great talent coming through this year.

“This season, I think we’re finding some really strong talent,” says Keith. “It’s all [in] the journey. You find these diamonds in the rough, or sometimes you just find straight-out [snaps] diamonds, and I love watching the journey of them.”

Keith is nominated for four CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Fuse and Musical Event of the Year for “We Were Us” with Miranda Lambert. The 48th Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena November 4th at 8pm ET

Keith Urban (American Idol auditions 2014) OC: …great moments. :39
“Well, it felt like we never stopped. I think when we first met here in Nashville, and I hadn’t seen Harry or Jen and Ryan for a month, I guess. It felt like no time had passed at all, and boom, we’re back behind the desk and people are singing in front of us, and it was like, ‘Whoa! What the…’ It’s so fluid working with them, working with all of them. And this season, I think we’re finding some really strong talent. So, I think it’s, it’s all [in] the journey. You find these diamonds-in-the-rough, or sometimes you just find straight-out [snaps] diamonds, and I love watching the journey of them, and then looking their audition tapes a few months down the track, going, ‘What the hell was I wearing? What was I thinking?’ Those are great moments.”