David Kahne

The multi-talented David Kahne has produced some of the biggest names in the business: Tony Bennett, Stevie Nicks, Sublime, Sugar Ray, K.D. Lang, and The Bangles, not to mention Paul Mc Cartney and his recent album, “Driving Rain.” He was awarded a Grammy in 1994 for producing the Album of the Year, Tony Bennett’s “MTV Unplugged.” He has also produced songs for “Vanilla Sky,” “Orange County,” “The Beach,” “Clockstoppers,” and a variety of other films and television shows. However, his career in the industry started on the opposite side of the mixing console.

A self-taught musician, Kahne began playing guitar, bass, and banjo while still in high school. He soon landed a record deal at Capitol, but quickly decided that performing didn’t suit him. Fueled by the desire to defy the limits of engineering, he took a job at Hyde Street Recording in San Francisco and taught himself how to run the console. He started producing demos for local bands, many of which turned into albums and paved the way for his career as a producer.

Kahne later transitioned into A&R, and spent many years working in the field at both Columbia and Warner Bros. Records. The positions gave him the unique ability to support records from the inside, and the influx of new musical ideas kept his producing efforts fresh and ahead of the curve. However, producing remained his first love, which motivated him to leave Warner Bros. to return to full-time independent production. He relishes his newfound freedom and loves the hands-on creativity the job brings.