BARNS, BREAKS AND BAREBONES RECORDING
“There’s just no way we could do this in a standard studio,” says Khruangbin guitarist Mark Speer. The mysterious genre-fusing trio, completed by bassist Laura Lee and drummer Donald ‘DJ’ Johnson, fled the buzz of Houston in 2013, driven out by the hustle of modern city living. They relocated north-west to the cornfields of Burton, to an austere 1,000 sq ft barn that’s been in Mark’s family for years, and which now serves as the band’s bohemian writing, rehearsal and recording space.
“Being out there does a lot for the writing process,” says Laura. “We’re cut off. There’s no wifi. You’re not near anything. When you’re at the barn, it’s time to write.”
Khruangbin’s long-standing Grammy-winning producer Steve Christensen has a typically, less romantic view. “I mean, it’s a barn. It’s a dirt floor”, he says, with a laugh. “It’s a wooden frame with corrugated steel. There’s no climate control of any kind. You’re totally beholden to the elements. If it rains, it’s over. We’ve done frigid, windy sessions up there in January, and it’s miserable.”
If the group’s previous works weren’t enough to convince you that their curious approach to recording can spark out-and-out magic, maybe the third chapter in their story, , will persuade you – not only that Khruangbin are the real deal but that maybe you should relocate your own band to the middle
