Neal Pogue

Life and career

Pogue started out as a drummer at a young age. He took his dreams of becoming a tour drummer to Los Angeles, California in 1984. After numerous attempts of breaking into the industry as a musician, Pogue enrolled at Sound Master Recording, a local school for audio engineering. After school, through a mutual friend Pogue interned at a studio owned by Michael Jackson's younger brother Randy Jackson, he was then awarded with the opportunity to be an assistant engineer on Jackson's Randy & The Gypsy's album. Pogue assisted there for a year. During Pogue's internship, he met Larrabee Sound Studios owner Kevin Mills and interned under him for 1 year due to Mills' encouragement that Pogue should go out on his own. In 1990 while doing various recording and mixing gigs in LA, he came in contact with Bobby Brown through the late Louil Sials Jr. whom was an MCA Records Executive A&R at the time. Brown whom was living in Atlanta, GA at the time suggested that Pogue work there with him on his self-titled BOBBY.While working in Atlanta, Pogue fell in love with the city and decided to move him and his family there in 1992.

Early career

In 1990, Pogue followed Bobby Brown to Atlanta to further music ventures and to work at Soundscape Studios which Brown later purchased and named it Bosstown. While in Atlanta, through recording artist Pebble's, Pogue met the newly formed production company Organized Noize whom at the time had the LaFace Records bound unsigned hip-hop duo Outkast. While in Atlanta, through his relationship with LaFace Records he came in contact and worked with Toni Braxtion, Goodie Mob, TLC, and Outkast, who he would go on to engineer multiple successful albums for. Pogue went on to start his own production company, Fulton Yard Unlimited with partner Walter McKennie, whom he has worked with M.I.A. , Nelly Furtado, En Vogue and Earth Wind & Fire.

Working with Outkast

In 1993, Pogue began working on Outkast's initial effort Southernplayalisticadillacmusik. After Outkast's initial effort released in 1994, Pogue recorded mixed 2 songs TLC's 1995 album Crazy Sexy Cool, one being the smash hit Waterfalls which followed by Pogue mixing, the hit single "Elevators" on Outkast's second studio album ATLiens in 1996, then mixing Aquemini in 1998. In 2000, Pogue mixed hit singles "Ms. Jackson" and B.O.B from the album Stankonia album. In 2002, Andre 3000 came to Pogue with new music for what was soon to be Outkast's Grammy Award-winning album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, Andre played Pogue a demo version of "Hey Ya". Pogue convinced Andre 3000 to choose "Hey Ya" as Speakerboxxx/The Love Below's lead single. While working in collaboration with Outkast, Pogue mixed tracks such as “She Lives in My Lap,” “She’s Alive,” “Prototype,” “Take Off Your Cool” featuring Grammy Award-winner Norah Jones, “Spread” and “Vibrate.”

Working with Earth, Wind & Fire

In 2012, Pogue worked on the production, mixing, instrumentation and composing of Earth, Wind & Fire's 20th studio album Now, Then & Forever that was released on September 13, 2013. Pogue co-wrote on the song "Sign On". Pogue sent a track to Oscar nominated and Grammy Award winning songwriter Siedah Garrett, which would become the lead single "My Promise". Pogue recorded the demo with Garrett, then sent it to Earth, Wind & Fire.The album charted as number 11 on the US Billboard 200, and charted as number 6 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.