The American Musical Trio; Khruangbin, combines global music influences, classic soul, dub and psychedelia. The band from Texas consists of bass guitarist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald ''DJ'' Johnson. Their debut album 'The Universe Smiles Upon You' from 2015 has influences from Thai music from the 60s. The second album 'Con todo el mundo' has influences from Spain and the Middle East. The third album 'Mordechai' was released in 2020.
Mark Speer and ''DJ'' met in 2004 when they played in a gospel group together. In 2007 Speer met Laura Lee through friends, who found each other in their shared love for Afgaahsne music and Middle Eastern architecture. In 2010 they played as support act.
The name Khruangbin comes from the Thai word of the same name, which literally means ''flying engine'' or ''airplane''. Lee learned to speak Thai at that time. A recognizable part of the band's image are the black wigs. This custom developed early in the group's career so that they would not be recognized as they walked from the stage to the merchandise stand.
