Laura Lee of Khruangbin talks through her onstage fashion
In recent years, Khruangbin have established themselves as one of the must-see musical acts of the 21st century, as the Texas outfit simultaneously captures easy listening and easy dancing with effortless ease. Amongst the riffs and basslines, though, is the fact that the band have a fantastic fashion sense, particularly their bass player Laura Lee.
Not only does Lee dress up in the most exuberant of outfits when playing live with her band, but she picks out two for each show: one for the main show and one for the encore. However, she admits that “it used to be a bit of a nightmare”. However, these days, Lee has a team run through a dress rehearsal before heading out on tour.
“Megan, my stylist, flies from the U.K. to New York, and my wardrobe person on the road will meet us to pin for alterations,” she explained (via Vanity Fair). “Then we map out the entire tour and see what works well together. Sometimes we’ll pick a zebra look with a leopard print for the encore – animal day! Then we pack it up and send back what doesn’t work.”
Naturally, there are some outfits that would simply be too much to wear and play bass at the same time. “There was a dress I could barely walk in,” Lee remembered. “I could only shimmy.” So that’s for the encore since it’s short. Same with giant heels; if they are dangerous, they’ll go to the encore.
Lee is happy to alter her clothing, though, to make it more practical to play a long set in, so long as the “designer is okay with it”. She noted, for example, “I’ll have to cut off any fringe if it’s on the right hand, so I’ll be able to play. If there are, say, feathers, they’ll get in the way of the strings. The left arm can have the good stuff, but not the right. I can play with gloves, so long as I cut the fingertips. That was a whole new exciting moment when we discovered that.”
And as for her style icons within the realm of music, Lee unsurprisingly admires David Bowie, Prince and Elton John, while it’s likely she also has an eye for some of the Beatles’ more garish wardrobe choices. “The two outfits thing is because of Elton,” she said. “I saw him twice on this Farewell tour. The first time he had four outfit changes, so I realised one for me is not enough, I need to up my game.”
And up her game, she has. Whenever you witness Khruangbin play live, part of the tension arises from wondering what wonderful outfit Lee will step out onto the stage in. Not only has she become one of the most well-respected bass players in the contemporary music scene, but she is also certainly one of the most stylish.
