Courtesy photo "Morning Becomes Eclectic" host Nic Harcourt, left, will interview Australian pop singer Sia Furler on April 24 during the first KCRW Sessions concert in Malibu. "I have interviewed her before and she is great because you never know what she's going to say," Harcourt says.

When Nic Harcourt says listen, that's exactly what people do.

In the past decade, Harcourt has emerged as one of the country's most influential DJs, helping to catapult the careers of Dido, Norah Jones, Coldplay and other acts via exposure on "Morning Becomes Eclectic," the three-hour music-and-interview show he hosts weekdays at 9 a.m. on Santa Monica public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM, or 89.1 FM and 102.3 FM in parts of Ventura County).

Harcourt is a respected music tastemaker as well as a keen interviewer who frequently gets artists to open up more than they would on typical radio shows.

Few people beyond KCRW staffers ever get the chance to personally experience these probing exchanges or get to witness the in-studio guests as they perform riveting, stripped-down versions of their songs. Sure you can listen on radio, or you can watch the action online at http://www.kcrw.com, but neither option truly captures the intimate feel of being there.

Liz McDonald, KCRW's director of events and music promotion, has spent years looking for a way to bring the "Morning Becomes Eclectic" experience out of the studio and into the public.

"And then I found the Malibu Performing Arts Center," McDonald said. "It's a 500-seat, state-of-the-art theater that's perfect for what we wanted to do."

Once the perfect venue was found, McDonald set out to create the perfect concert series. The result, dubbed KCRW Sessions, will launch April 24 with a concert by Australian pop singer Sia Furler, who recently released her fourth solo album, "Some People Have Real Problems," which hit No. 26 on the Billboard 200 album chart. She'll perform two sets and sit down for an interview with Harcourt.

Harcourt could have chosen from dozens of acts, but he felt Furler's offbeat music and charisma were an ideal fit.

"We wanted to choose someone who we've had a long-standing relationship with," Harcourt said. "We've known Sia's music for years, back when she recorded with Zero 7. I have interviewed her before and she is great because you never know what she's going to say."

Like Harcourt, McDonald is psyched not only about the Furler show, but also about future Sessions concerts.

"I've been at the station for about 10 years, and it's still magic to be next to these great musicians when they are playing in the studio," McDonald said. "The possibilities for who we have in the future are endless. I have been toying with a theme of legends and legends in the making, but ultimately it's Nic who will decide."

Harcourt is weighing options for the second Sessions concert, which will be in June, and a third, scheduled for November.

Whomever he chooses, the show likely will be one for the memory books.

"You may be unfamiliar with the music, but it will be someone who you will be hearing from in six months," he said. "So it's perfect if you have a sense of discovery."

— E-mail freelance columnist Jeff Favre at jjfavre@yahoo.com.