Khruangbin is a three-piece band from Houston, Texas, consisting of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson Jr. on drums.
They are known for their fusion of global musical influences including classic soul, dub, rock and psychedelia.
Their debut studio album, The Universe Smiles Upon You (2015), was inspired by 1960s Thai music, particularly Luk thung, while their second album, Con Todo el Mundo (2018), was inspired by Spanish and Middle Eastern music, particularly Iran.
contour
- Full name: Khruangbin
- Stage name: Khruangbin
- Age: Laura Lee (36), Mark Speier (43) and Donald Johnson Jr. (
- Birthplace: Houston, Texas, USA
- Country: United States
- Occupation: Music trio
- Spouse: Unknown
- Members: Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald Johnson, Jr.
- Founded: 2010
- Net worth: $10 million
early life
The three members of Khruangbin had intertwined early lives. Mark Speer and Donald Johnson met in Houston in 2004 while performing in Rudy Rasmus’ St. John’s Methodist Church gospel band.
Spear met Laura Lee through a friend in 2007, when both shared a love of Afghan music and Middle Eastern architecture. Lee began learning bass with Spear’s help in 2009. After playing for six months, she auditioned and was hired as the bassist for Yppah’s upcoming tour.
Profession
Khruangbin’s debut album, The Universe Smiles at You, was released in 2015. The album was a critical success and helped the band reach a wider audience. They followed it up with the albums Con Todo El Mundo (2018) and Mordechai (2020), both of which were critically acclaimed.
Soon after, Khruangbin was named “New Band of the Week” by The Guardian, opening for bands such as Father John Misty, Tycho, Chicano Batman and Massive Attack, and began playing festivals such as Lockn, Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, ACL, Outside Lands, Desert Daze and South by Southwest.
On the 2017 compilation Philia: Artists Against Islamophobia, the band covered the song “Ma Beham Nemiresim” by the famous Iranian singer Googoosh.
As part of the AirKhruang DJ series, they also created Spotify playlists specifically for Tehran and many other city-specific playlists.
Social Media
- Instagram account: Khruangbin (@khruangbin)
- Twitter account: Khruangbin (@Khruangbin)
- Facebook: Khruangbin
Personal life
The band members stressed that they remain close friends and said their personal lives do not have a major impact on their music careers. Their priority is to focus on making music and connecting with their loyal fan base.
Discography
- Notorious Bill (EP
- The Universe Smiles at You (LP)
- Spend the World with the Whole World (LP)
- Stubb’s Live in Concert (Live Album
- Texas Sun (EP with Leon Bridges)
- Mordecai (LP)
- Texas Moon (EP with Leon Bridges)
- Ali (album with Vieux Farka Touré)
- Mordechai Remix
- Hasta El Cielo (Remix Album
- Late Night Stories: Khruangbin (Compilation Album
net worth
American instrumental rock trio Khruangbin has an estimated net worth of $10 million.
The band has released three studio albums, all of which have received critical and commercial success.
