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AKG kicks off ‘Stories Behind The Sessions’ music interview series with INXS’ Garry Beers

Harman brand AKG has launched the AKG ‘Stories Behind The Sessions’ web series on YouTube, hosted by radio and television personality Nic Harcourt.

Stories Behind The Sessions spotlights the producers, engineers and songwriters responsible for songs that define the sound of popular music.

With a candid one-on-one interview format, guests talk about their creative process, what it was like to collaborate with iconic artists and their reaction to watching their work become a hit in real-time.

In the latest episode, Harcourt interviews musician, film composer and early Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez on recording the band’s first two albums and his process of film scoring, including the films Solaris; Sex, Lies and Videotape and others for Director Steven Soderbergh.

In another episode – the first one recorded in the Harman Experience Center in Los Angeles – Harcourt sits down with musician, producer and INXS bassist, Garry Beers, to discuss the band’s iconic album Kick, which celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. 

The first two episodes of the series were recorded live at the NAMM Show with the inaugural episode featuring Grammy award-winning producer Neal Pogue (Outkast, TLC, Nelly Furtado) recounting the late-night, marathon session to compose, record and mix the horns on Waterfalls by TLC, and the close collaboration between Atlanta’s best session musicians to bring the song to life.

The second episode highlighted producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Celene Dion) and the unconventional origins of All I Want for Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey, which involved a live reindeer in the studio.

“At Harman we do more than make tools for artists to create their best work, but we also support their growth by introducing them to stories from those who have made among the most culturally significant songs of our generation,” said Frank Joseph, senior director marketing in North America for Harman Professional Solutions. 

“We’re thrilled for AKG to showcase some of the most iconic producers, artists and more through the art of storytelling. We hope that these first-person perspectives on what it takes to develop groundbreaking albums, songs and recording techniques will inspire producers, artists and creators working on the next big hit today.”

Guests for upcoming episodes this year will be announced soon.