The trendsetting Texans are on a quest to discover their world-spanning sound, and they couldn’t imagine collaborating with anyone better to tackle the hard work alongside.
Khruangbin’s discography has whisked listeners away to the most remote tropical regions, incorporating Thai funk, Iranian psychedelia, Latin influences through Cumbia and Flamenco, and more recently, African disco. Celebrated and Grammy-nominated for their eclectic sound, the trio turned towards familiar comforts for their fourth studio album, ‘A LA SALA’, prioritizing each other.
“We missed one another,” confesses the laid-back drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson from his home studio in Texas. “We missed collaborating just the three of us.”
Following the success of 2020’s ‘Mordechai’, the Texan trio saw a rapid rise in their profile. Khruangbin’s globally inspired sound began to be recognized as uniquely theirs, leading to larger venues and a more elaborate visual identity. Bassist Laura Lee, a style icon in her own right, frequently engages in interviews focused solely on her eclectic selection of on-stage outfits each night. It’s worth noting that they had always embraced a vibrant aesthetic, with both her and guitarist Mark Speer often sporting their signature wigs, which they wore throughout a Zoom interview from their respective homes in Oakland, California, and New York City.
Fresh off collaborations with Leon Bridges and Vieux Farka Toure, Khruangbin was eager to create music together like they used to. Fans and industry insiders may have speculated about their next musical direction, contemplating which geographical area they would draw inspiration from next. Instead, Lee, Speer, and Johnson chose to block out external distractions and return to their roots.
“There was this creative desire to downsize, to create a quieter, more intimate album,” Lee explains, with Speer adding: “I was really looking forward to making a record that involved just plugging into the amp. Something pure.”
The essence of Khruangbin remains deeply embedded in ‘A LA SALA’; DJ’s slick drum breaks and Lee’s minimalist finger-picking ground Speer’s expressive guitar work. Upon entering the studio, it was Speer’s early contributions that guided a softer, more contemplative direction, opting to simply connect his guitar directly to his amp, bypassing the pedalboard.
“Mark played ‘Les Petit Gris’, the final track on the album,” Lee continues. “It was the first song we completed. It just flowed. It resonated with all of us. For DJ and me, it was quite demanding. There’s something stoic about being a metronome, yet it isn’t that. We worked hard to ensure Mark had a stunning take. That was the first track that made it onto the album. It’s similar to how a thesis works: if this sentence belongs here, then the rest of the paragraph must align accordingly. It established a more intimate feeling.” There was also room for earlier compositions, like ‘May Ninth’, a song that marked a return to their roots and the initial thrill of forming a band.
With the challenges of extended touring and Lee’s experience with motherhood, ‘A LA SALA’ embodies the band’s choice to pause and take deep breaths. Rather than seeking refuge, they incorporated the comforts of home into their tours.
An increasing number of artists are transforming their stage setups into extensions of their homes. In today’s screen-oriented world, where artists share more of their lives than ever, audiences crave this level of intimacy. After all, few environments are as intimate and comforting as an artist's own home. So, why not use that space to convey a story?
For the tour following ‘A LA SALA’, the oversized disco balls, strict choreography—partly a result of the “old spaceship” stage design, as Speer describes it—and flashy outfits are gone. During their residency at London’s Eventim Apollo at the end of last year, they performed on a spacious platform with steps allowing Lee and Speer to move freely, backed by an LCD screen framed by three window-shaped cutouts, emulating a Mediterranean manor style akin to the album cover of ‘A LA SALA’.
“We aimed to create a show that left people feeling an emotional connection,” Lee articulates. “We wanted a visual shift. I didn’t want to wear six-inch heels requiring constant outfit changes. That was enjoyable, but now I’m a mom. My priorities have shifted. I’d rather spend time with her than on outfit planning. We thought, ‘What’s the opposite of heels?’ Wearing socks! So that’s what we did.”
The trio now relax in their cozy, warmly lit environment, moving around the stage as freely as their music allows. “Mark wanted to incorporate a sense of playfulness on stage,” she continues. “Last tour, we were stuck playing a set A and set B. It felt overly structured, perhaps too controlled. We wanted more spontane
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The discerning Texans on their quest to discover their international sound, and why they couldn't imagine teaming up with anyone better for the "hard work."