Greg Kurstin

Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter.

He returned to Los Angeles to finish his degree, and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a BFA in 1992.

In 1994, he formed Geggy Tah with Tommy Jordan, whom he had met at an LA jam.

A friend passed a demo they recorded on to David Byrne, who signed them to his label, Luaka Bop.

Geggy Tah released their debut album Grand Opening in 1994; Kurstin played bass, clavinet, guitar, organ, piano, synthesizers and drums, and was credited as a songwriter, producer, programmer, and backup vocalist.

In 1996 the band released Sacred Cow.

"They incorporate so many disparate elements into their sound that one senses a new sensibility afoot", Byrne said in 1997.

It included the song "Whoever You Are", which became a hit in 2001, after it was used in a television spot for Mercedes-Benz.

As the song ascended the charts, Geggy Tah released their final album, Into the Oh.

In addition to playing with Geggy Tah, Kurstin did session work, one-offs and tours with artists including Beck, Ben Harper, Jon Hassell and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In 2001, he released an album under the name Action Figure Party on the Verve-affiliated label Blue Thumb Records.

Mostly instrumental and in a jazz-funk vein, the album featured guests Flea, Sean Lennon, Soul Coughing's Yuval Gabay as well as musicians who performed with Beck, Air, Gil-Scott Heron and Garbage.

Kurstin signed a worldwide publishing deal with EMI (now Sony/ATV) in 2002.

While he had consistently written songs since the age of 12, he intensified his efforts, working "day and night, pumping out songs".

In addition to writing on his own, he collaborated with songwriters and artists including Sia, whom he met through Beck in 2003.

He worked with singer Inara George to form the collaborative duo the Bird and the Bee in 2004.

Kurstin was born in Los Angeles, California.

He started playing piano at age 5.

Soon after, he picked up guitar and bass.

Kurstin joined his first band at the age of 11, and at 12 co-wrote "Crunchy Water", the B-side to classmate Dweezil Zappa's "My Mother Is a Space Cadet".

In high school, Kurstin focused on jazz piano.

After graduation, he moved to New York to study with Charles Mingus' pianist Jaki Byard at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

In addition to coursework, as a student Kurstin played with prominent jazz artists including Bobby Hutcherson, George Coleman, and Charles McPherson.

In 2004, Kurstin was introduced to singer Inara George by a mutual friend, Mike Andrews.

Then producing George's solo debut, Andrews hired Kurstin as a pianist for the album.

Kurstin and George clicked musically in the studio and together they formed the bird and the bee.

Shortly thereafter, they were signed by Blue Note Records chairman Bruce Lundvall.

Described by Entertainment Weekly as "space-age pop that cunningly combines bossa nova languidity with Beach Boys-style lushness", they have since released four albums and an EP.

In a 2013 interview, Kurstin said that his education in jazz had played a vital role in his pop success.

"It's still something I carry over into my pop music work. It's really important to me that the notes I'm choosing strike the right emotional chord."

Kurstin continued to perform with Hutcherson, Coleman, McPherson and others following his graduation.

He also co-wrote, produced and played most of the instruments on Adele's record-breaking 2015 single "Hello".

Among others, he has worked with Sia, Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, Maren Morris, Dido, Beck, Paul McCartney, Pink, Lily Allen, Harry Styles, and the Foo Fighters.

He often plays guitar, bass, keyboards and drums, and engineers and programs the music of which he produces.

Kurstin began his career as a jazz pianist and later co-founded Geggy Tah.

Kurstin was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album for the Bird and the Bee's 2015 release, Recreational Love.

After working on tracks with artists including Peaches, All Saints, Pink, the Flaming Lips, and Kylie Minogue, Kurstin was introduced to Lily Allen.

He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and contributed to four songs which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100''.

Kurstin collaborated with Adele on the albums 25 and 30.

He co-wrote and produced "Easy on Me," the first single from 30, which hit the US Hot 100 only five hours after its release and broke all-time records on Spotify with 24 million plays within the first 24 hours it was available.