Acclaimed festival darlings Khruangbin on how mistakes can be cool

There’s an old barn in Burton, midway between Houston and Austin in the Texan countryside, where musical trio Khruangbin first captured their chilled-out sound on record.

Far from the bright lights and sometimes frenzied atmosphere of a music festival, the rustic, dirt-floor barn is where most of Khruangbin’s soulful, psychedelic, and largely instrumental grooves have been unearthed.

A decade on from their first album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, the group are returning to Australia for three shows in February and March next year, on the back of new album A La Sala.

Khruangbin (left to right) Mark Speer, Laura Lee and DJ Johnson.Credit: Jackie Lee Young

In the years since their debut release, Khruangbin have grown into festival darlings, and bass player Laura Lee Ochoa says, “it’s the sweet spot, before people go into the rave zone” where Khruangbin feel most comfortable.

“There’s a very strong EDM (electronic dance music) presence at festivals now that takes over, and once a listener gets into the headspace of that kind of music, it’s hard to go back to softer, live music,” she said.

Laura Lee Ochoa on stage with Khruangbin at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in 2022.Credit: Jackie Lee Young

“We’re in a stage of our career, and with this particular album release that’s about honouring the beginnings of our music and the nature of our music.”

Likened in The New York Times to “the sound you hear inside a lava lamp,” Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer DJ Johnson slide between ’70s inspired surf rock, R&B, dub and Middle Eastern melodies, creating their own ethereal musical chemistry.

The new album was made up of a lot of old things that had been shelved, says Ochoa, who hadn’t even picked up a musical instrument until a couple of years before Speer asked her to join a tour.

A former teacher with an art history background, Ochoa says she feels a palpable sense of appreciation from crowds since returning to live performances after COVID lockdowns.

“It’s lovely, it’s also felt like there wasn’t any pressure to be perfect, mistakes were welcome ... even mistakes can end up being really cool,” she says.

Before forming the band in Houston with Speer and Johnson, Ochoa considered herself more of an art person, but grew up surrounded by music.

“I love music, I was always around music and went to concerts very early. I worked in music bars at college, and it was always a huge part of my life.

“I know I’m a bass player,” she says, but adds “it doesn’t feel as true as saying I’m an artist. I’m constantly curating. I curate my outfits, the posters, I’m curating the show, and the sequence of the albums.

“The actual playing comes in a playful way. It’s not coming from an intellectual place.

“And whenever we’re back in the barn, it’s an extremely simple, happy place. It’s a place to breathe and be creative.”

Khruangbin play Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on February 25, Riverstage in Brisbane on March 2; and Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on March 5. Pre-sale tickets are available from Monday, August 5. Supported by Hermanos Gutierrez.

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