FIRST CLASS

With a third album replete with impeccable funk and richly embroidered guitar sounds from around the globe, Khruangbin are fast becoming one of the most exciting trios working today

- Jamie Dickson 

In case you’re wondering, it’s pronounced ‘krung-bin’. It’s a Thai word, meaning ‘aeroplane’, that increasing numbers of listeners have become familiar with solely because of the hypnotically danceable sound this Texan three-piece makes. By turns mellow and psychedelic then assertively funky, the band’s sound is embellished with intricate guitar lines that take their inspiration from the music of… everywhere, from Congolese pop to the jazz-fusion of Roy Ayers. That could be a recipe for a worthy but pretentious fare, but the band wears its influences lightly and unselfconsciously.

The engine room of the music is the combination of superb bassist Laura Lee and the slick but understated beats of drummer Donald ‘DJ’ Johnson. This perfect fit is then richly decorated by the vivid threads of guitarist Mark Speer’s guitar lines, which range from trippy washes of sound to intricate, evolving melodies. With the band’s third album hitting the streets, we joined the trio to talk about how they forge their unique sound.

Your first two albums were primarily instrumental, but Mordechai is full of soulful vocals. Why the switch?

Laura Lee: “We are very free-flowing in terms of what goes on our records. We don’t know what is going to happen until we are there. We threw vocals at the wall and they stuck and we liked them, so we went down that path for this record. That doesn’t mean anything for the next record.”

Playing bass while singing is notoriously difficult. Any tips?