Gregory Allen “Greg” Kurstin is an American producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
In 2014, Kurstin (with Sia Furler and Will Gluck) was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “Opportunity” from Annie. He also received two Grammy nominations in 2014, one for Producer of the Year and one for Record of the Year. He was nominated for his work as a producer in 2009, and won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriter of the Year for the song “The Fear.”
Kurstin was nominated for the 2013 Grammy Awards in the Song of the Year and Record of the Year categories for his work on Kelly Clarkson’s multi-platinum single “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)”. Kurstin was also involved with P!nk’s Grammy-nominated album The Truth About Love and Clarkson’s album Stronger, which won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album in 2013.
In addition to his work as a songwriter and producer, Kurstin was the keyboardist for the ’90s alt-pop trio Geggy Tah and is a member of the indie pop group The Bird and the Bee.
Kurstin was born and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Kurstin is Jewish. A multi-instrumentalist, 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 co-wrote the b-side to classmate Dweezil Zappa’s “My Mother is A Space Cadet” at 12.
In high school, Kurstin focused on jazz piano, and after graduating he moved to New York to study with Jaki Byard, Charles Mingus’ pianist, at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.
After playing with prominent jazz musicians including Bobby Hutcherson, George Coleman, and Charles McPherson, Kurstin returned to LA and finished his degree at the California School of the Arts.
Career
In Los Angeles, Kurstin continued to perform with Hutcherson, Coleman, and McPherson, among other musicians, and in 1994 teamed with a friend, Tommy Jordan, and recorded a demo under the name Geggy Tah. The tape came to the attention of David Byrne, who signed Jordan and Kurstin to his Luaka Bop label. Geggy Tah had considerable success, including a 1996 hit with the song
“Whoever You Are”, but disbanded after releasing three albums.
Over the following years, Kurstin worked as a session player and touring musician for Beck, Ben Harper and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among other artists, but eventually decided to focus on his own music. 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 (stylized as “the bird and the bee”). Shortly thereafter, they were signed by Blue Note Records chairman Bruce Lundvall; their first EP, Again and Again and Again and Again was released in 2006. In 2007 an eponymous album was released, followed by Please Clap Your Hands (2007), Rayguns Are Not Just the Future (2008), and Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1, a Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates. Described by Entertainment Weekly as “space-age pop that cunningly combines bossa nova languidity with Beach Boys-style lushness”, the bird and the bee was praised by the media and developed a sizable following in the US and abroad.
Kurstin, who earned his first songwriting credit at 12, signed a publishing deal with EMI (now Sony/ATV) in 2002, and worked “day and night, pumping out songs”.After collaborating on tracks with artists including Sia, Peaches, P!nk, and the Flaming Lips, Kurstin was introduced to Lily Allen; her 2006 debut, Alright, Still which credits Kurstin as a producer, composer, engineer, mixer, and musician, entered the US charts at No. 20 and went on to achieve platinum status.Based in part on his success with Allen, Kurstin’s career as a producer and songwriter flourished. Since then he has worked with Ellie Goulding, Foster The People, Tegan & Sara, The Shins, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Dido, and Katy Perry. He has produced and composed music for each of Allen’s three albums, and has worked closely with Sia since 2003. In 2015, Kurstin co-wrote and co-produced “Dreams”, the first single from Beck’s follow up to the Grammy-winning Morning Phase.
Kurstin scored the 2014 adaptation of the film Annie and served as the soundtrack’s executive producer. With Sia, he created new arrangements for the Broadway musical’s original tracks “I Think I’m Gonna Like It Here,” “You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile,” and “Little Girls.” Additionally, Kurstin and Sia co-wrote several new songs for the film, including “Opportunity”, “Who Am I”, and “Moonlake Lake” (featuring Beck). Kurstin produced the first single from the soundtrack, “You’re Never Dressed Without a Smile (2014 Film Version)” co-written and performed by Sia. It was released in October 2014.
In 2015, Kurstin co wrote and produced Adele’s “Hello”, and the song became an instant global hit, setting records.
