Groove Podcast: Garry Gary Beers (INXS) on Bass, Groove, and Building the Sound of INXS

Garry Gary Beers has spent decades laying down some of the most recognizable basslines in modern rock. As the bassist and founding member of INXS, Garry helped shape the sound of a band that sold more than 70 million records worldwide and created songs that remain embedded in global music culture… tracks like “Need You Tonight,” “What You Need,” and “Never Tear Us Apart” that fused rock, funk, new wave and pop into something unmistakably their own.

Born in Australia, Garry came up absorbing a wide range of influences, from Motown and The Beatles to Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, long before he picked up the bass himself in his late teens. That curiosity about tone, groove, and the role of the bass inside a song became one of the defining elements of INXS’s sound and a huge part of what made the band feel rhythmically alive.

In this episode, Garry reflects on those early days… discovering bass through cheap transistor radios, the slow build of INXS across multiple albums before the global explosion of Kick, and the creative experimentation with instruments, fretless basses, and studio gear that helped shape the band’s identity.

We also dig into the craft of songwriting and why truly great songs still endure across generations… because, as Garry points out, a great song is simply a great song no matter the era.

The conversation also explores what it means to continue creating music decades into a career, the changing culture of music listening, and the tension between artistry and technology in an era increasingly shaped by algorithms and AI.

Along the way, Garry shares what he’s been working on lately, including his new band AshenMoon, whose haunting reinterpretation of Love Will Tear Us Apart showcases his signature melodic sensibility in a fresh setting, and his growing passion for building his own instruments through GGB Basses… handcrafted bass guitars designed around the tone and feel he has spent a lifetime chasing.

It’s a thoughtful, funny and surprisingly reflective conversation with one of rock’s most influential bass players… and a reminder that groove, great songs, and musical curiosity never really go out of style.

Enjoy the conversation…

Available here on APPLE, and SPOTIFY,