Nic Harcourt

Last updated

Nic Harcourt
Born (1957-09-23) September 23, 1957 (age 65)
Birmingham, England
Occupations
  • Radio and television presenter
  • producer
  • journalist

Nic Harcourt (born September 23, 1957) is an English-born American radio and television presenter, producer, and journalist best known as the former Music Director and on-air presenter for the Santa Monica, California-based radio station KCRW. Harcourt hosts the weekday 88.5 FM Morning Music Mix at KCSN in Northridge, California.

Contents

Life and career

Born in Birmingham, England, Harcourt lived in Lichfield, England and Brisbane Australia before coming to the United States. [1] Before joining KCRW, Harcourt worked for eight years (1990-1998) as a news director and later morning drive show host, music director and program director at radio station WDST in Woodstock, New York, which he described as "an innovative commercial station ... renowned as a bastion of new music, always being ahead of the curve". [2] Leaving WDST after it changed owners in 1998, he joined KCRW to host and edit the daily radio show Morning Becomes Eclectic. He later wrote, "my new job was a very different proposition from the controlled playlist of commercial radio. All of a sudden I found myself with the greatest job in radio where I was allowed to play anything I like and go as deep into an album as I wanted to." [2]

The shows, broadcast live in Los Angeles, often featured live performances by artists both popular and obscure. They included Dido and Travis who have credited Harcourt for recognizing them early in their career. Harcourt was also credited with helping to launch Coldplay's career as well as those of Norah Jones, Sigur Ros, David Gray, Adele, Arctic Monkeys, and Metric.

A weekly version of the show called Sounds Eclectic , launched in 2000, was broadcast on several other stations in cooperation with PRI.

On November 10, 2008, Harcourt announced that he would be leaving his role with Morning Becomes Eclectic and resigning as music director for KCRW as of November 30, 2008, while taking on a new show on Sundays. [3] [4] KCRW management selected Jason Bentley to replace Harcourt on both Morning Becomes Eclectic and as music director. [5]

With his reduced role at KCRW, Harcourt founded his own company, SamLuna Media Inc., to develop TV and movie projects. Harcourt continued to do his Sunday show at KCRW until June 2011, when he took on a new show at KCSN called Connections with Nic Harcourt [6] Harcourt was hoping that he could have done his shows on both stations as he was not getting paid by KCSN. [6] On October 19, 2012 Harcourt debuted his weekday morning show on KCSN, called Mornings Are Electric. Harcourt also became Music Supervisor in residence for MTV in March 2011 and many thought he left KCRW for this reason due to a press release from KCRW mentioning his new job. [6] Harcourt denied this in an interview with the Los Angeles Times and said the real reason he had to leave KCRW was because of his new show on KCSN and that KCRW management would not let him do shows on both stations. [6] In October 2011 he became the host of the morning (6 am–11 am) drive music show at KCSN (KCSN Morning Show with Nic Harcourt). In September 2015 his show moved to the midday (11 am–3 pm) time slot (KCSN Midday Music Mix with Nic Harcourt). In 2017 he returned to the morning show.

Other media and later career

In 2005 Harcourt published Music Lust , a book of "recommended listening for every mood, moment and reason." He has also worked as music consultant/supervisor for several television shows and movies, including: Ben Affleck's Gone Baby Gone (2007), Love Monkey , The Dukes of Hazzard , Life As We Know It , Igby Goes Down , and the first season of the rebooted teen drama 90210 (TV series) . Harcourt was also the American national voice over talent from 2005 thru 2008 for the Land Rover advertising campaign.

Harcourt has also served as Editor at Large: Music and Culture for LA: The Los Angeles Times Magazine (2009–10).

He produced and hosted a short-lived live performance music website called TheLiveBuzz in the fall of 2010 and was also the first Music Supervisor in Residence at MTV (2011-2012). He is currently the host and interviewer for DirecTV's "Guitar Center Sessions" [7] (2010 onwards) and also hosted a performance/interview podcast series for Guitar Center (2010-2014).

He also manages Los Angeles based singer/songwriter and producer Kita Klane and has directed several music videos for her. [8]

Related Research Articles

KCSN is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Northridge, California and owned by California State University, Northridge. The station simulcasts with KSBR from Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The station primarily airs adult album alternative (AAA) and Americana music with a mix of legends, new music, and local music with some specialty programming on weekends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KCRW</span> Public radio station in Santa Monica, California

KCRW is a National Public Radio member station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, where the station is licensed. KCRW airs original news and music programming in addition to programming from NPR and other affiliates. A network of repeaters and broadcast translators, as well as internet radio, allows the station to serve the Greater Los Angeles area and other communities in Southern California. The station's main transmitter is located in Los Angeles's Laurel Canyon district and broadcasts in the HD radio format. It is one of two full NPR members in the Los Angeles area; Pasadena-based KPCC is the other.

Sounds Eclectic, no longer being broadcast on radio, is a weekly syndicated public radio program hosted by Nic Harcourt that plays a variety of music, often by emerging artists. A trademark of the program is recordings of live sessions from artists both established and new, taken from the archives of the daily KCRW program Morning Becomes Eclectic. A number of well known bands, such as Coldplay, Norah Jones, Dido, Jem, Sigur Rós and David Gray were featured on the show before they achieved widespread fame.

<i>Morning Becomes Eclectic</i> American alternative radio program

Morning Becomes Eclectic (MBE) is a three-hour adult album alternative radio program first aired in 1977 and broadcast live every weekday from KCRW in Santa Monica, California. The show's name is a play on the Eugene O'Neill trilogy of plays, Mourning Becomes Electra.

Chris Douridas is an American popular DJ and musical tastemaker at Santa Monica, California's radio station KCRW, where he hosts a two-hour program showcasing progressive new music. He is also a filmmaker, actor, television presenter, and a three-time Grammy-nominated producer of soundtracks and music videos.

Jason Bentley is an American radio disc jockey of electronic music in Los Angeles, California. On December 1, 2008, Bentley replaced Nic Harcourt as the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and as Music Director for KCRW. Previously he had hosted two radio programs: Afterhours on KROQ-FM, and Metropolis on KCRW, the latter for 16 years until November 28, 2008. Bentley and KCRW revived Metropolis in 2013; the show currently airs Saturdays in the 8PM to 10 PM slot.

KSBR is a non-commercial educational radio station licensed to Mission Viejo, California and broadcasting to the Orange County area. The station is owned by Saddleback College and airs adult album alternative (AAA) and Americana music with a mix of legends, new music, and local music with some specialty programming on weekends. KSBR is simulcast with KCSN in Northridge, California.

WDST, branded as "Radio Woodstock 100.1", is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Woodstock, New York, and serving the Mid-Hudson Valley. Radio Woodstock is known as a progressive station that was at the forefront of both the modern rock and adult album alternative formats. The radio studios are in the former West Hurley Methodist church on Route 28.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldspot</span> American band

Goldspot is a New York-based band. Founded by singer/songwriter/producer and television and film composer Siddhartha Khosla, the group has since received critical acclaim for its debut album Tally of the Yes Men (Tally) and second album And The Elephant is Dancing. The band released its third full-length, Aerogramme, in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raul Campos</span> Musical artist

Raul Campos is a music host weekend afternoons, 3-6pm, on influential Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW/KCRW.com. Raul Campos creates a mix of emerging artists and current favorites, bringing essential cuts from around the world and a little closer to home. He is regarded as an important DJ in dance music, indie rock and Latin electronica and was described by the Los Angeles Times as a “unique voice in LA radio.”

Thomas Daniel Schnabel is a music consultant, producer and DJ. Based in Los Angeles, he was formerly the music director at KCRW.

<i>Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project</i> 2007 compilation album by Various artists

Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project is a compilation album consisting of cover songs performed by a variety of artists on KCRW. The recordings come from "Sounds Eclectic", a weekly syndicated public radio program hosted by Nic Harcourt that plays a variety of music, taken from the archives of the daily KCRW program Morning Becomes Eclectic. One exception is The Flaming Lips' performance of Radiohead's "Knives Out", which was recorded in their tour bus on the way to the studio. The album was sold exclusively at select Starbucks locations starting March 13, 2007. A portion of sales helped the station's effort to digitize its music library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AM (musician)</span> American singer-songwriter

AM is an American songwriter, musician, composer and producer born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, raised in New Orleans, and currently residing in the Los Angeles Echo Park neighborhood in California. AM or A.M. refers to his band and is also the moniker for this artist. Known for his seamless fusing of pop, soul, funk and world music, recording artist AM has released several critically acclaimed albums and toured the world. His newest collaboration with London artist/producer Shawn Lee, has been described by Rolling Stone as "hypnotic" and by Daytrotter as "intricate, groove-filled dreamscapes that are every bit organic and every bit mad genius."

Gary Calamar is a five-time Grammy Award-nominated film and television music supervisor whose credits include: The Man In The High Castle,Six Feet Under, True Blood, House, Weeds, Entourage, Dexter, and Varsity Blues. He is also an American DJ, who hosted a long-running program on the influential radio station KCRW in Santa Monica, CA. He eventually moved to 88.5 KCSN in September 2018. Gary is also a songwriter and recording artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris and Thomas</span> American folk duo

Chris and Thomas are an American folk duo consisting of Christopher Anderson and Thomas Hien. They are signed with Defend Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Bianco</span> American singer-songwriter

Jim Bianco is an independent musician, singer, songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles, California.

missFlag Indie pop-rock band from Jerusalem

missFlag is an indie pop-rock band from Jerusalem. Formed in 2005, the band's music is mostly influenced by the new wave of British music and alternative rock. The band consists of Gil Assayas, Assa Bukelman, Shai Saadia (bass), and Assaf Kraus. The band formerly included Ohad Eilam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The New Fidelity</span>

The New Fidelity is an American mod/power-pop band founded in Long Beach, CA in 2005. The New Fidelity are heavily influenced by 1960s pop and rock, and most of their music is steeped in two-, three-, and four-part harmony. Bands including The Beatles, The Zombies, The Who, and The Beach Boys are obvious influences as well as 1980s mod revival and jangle pop.

Helen Stellar are a Los Angeles-based American band. The band members are Jim Evens, Clif Clehouse (drums), Dustin Robles (bass), and Eli Lhymn (guitar). Although unsigned, the group has enjoyed considerable radio and soundtrack success with support from tastemakers including DJ Nic Harcourt, and directors Cameron Crowe and Gregg Araki.

George Shimeall, known professionally by his stage name George Sarah, is an American composer, based in Los Angeles, California.

References

  1. ↑ "Nic Harcourt - Host Bio". KCRW radio station website. KCRW. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
  2. 1 2 Nic Harcourt, Liner notes for Air: Moon Safari (10th anniversary reissue), EMI Music France, February 2008.
  3. ↑ "KCRW's Harcourt To Step Down" Archived 2008-11-13 at the Wayback Machine , FMQB magazine, November 10, 2008
  4. ↑ Roberts, Randall, "Nic Harcourt Leaving KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, Resigning as Music Director" [ dead link ], LA Weekly, November 10, 2008
  5. ↑ Carney, Steve (18 November 2008). "KCRW names Jason Bentley music director, 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' host". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Randy (7 April 1986). "Nic Harcourt: Nic Harcourt says KCRW 'misrepresented' his departure - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved 24 August 2011.
  7. ↑ "NIC Harcourt | Guitar Center Sessions". sessions.guitarcenter.com. Gc.guitarcenter.com. Retrieved 20 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "Kita Klane YouTube channel". YouTube .
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