Back in 2020, GRAMMY-nominated soul singer Leon Bridges linked up with the psych-rock act Khruangbin to record the Texas Sun EP, a four-song collection that explored both groups’ Texas roots and launched a somewhat unlikely—yet utterly captivating—musical partnership. It’s been a long two years, but the musicians are back with the second installment in this collection of EPs, which is titled Texas Moon and sees the band expanding their collaboration to craft a group of songs that truly transcend categorization.
We caught up with Bridges and Khruangbin (bassist/vocalist Laura Lee, guitarist/vocalist Mark Speer, and drummer/keyboardist/vocalist Donald “DJ” Johnson) to discuss how these five songs came together, what the vibe was like in the studio, and how the state of Texas was an influence on these songs—even if it might not be immediately obvious to the average listener.
How did the new EP come together, and how was it different from the first one?
Donald Johnson: This one ended up being a bit of an extension of the first recording session, being that the first single that was released, “B-Side,” was recorded at the first session, it just wasn’t included on the Texas Sun EP. So this time around we were able to shore up some things from the earlier recording session and also record some new stuff.
Laura Lee: Yeah, “Doris,” “Father Father,” and “B-Side” were all kind of on the shelf waiting for their friends to arrive to complete the package. I think the creative process was different in the sense that we just had to fill in those missing pieces of what they needed in order to feel like a complete record.
“I feel like we were searching for the counterpart to Texas Sun in a way—and when that came together it was just like, ‘You know, this is the full thing.’”
— Leon Bridges
What was the vibe like for these songs? What was the feeling like when you were working together?
Leon Bridges: Some of the songs started with me initially strumming a few chords on a guitar and just kind of shaping melody and lyrics. I would say that “Mariella” was the missing piece to Texas Moon; I feel like we were searching for the counterpart to Texas Sun in a way—and when that came together it was just like, “You know, this is the full thing.”
How did you approach the arrangements on this EP? Did they present themselves easily, or was there a lot of changing things around?
Mark Speer: There was a fair amount of rearrangement. Like Leon said, he would be sitting there with an acoustic guitar and start singing. I can remember clearly at the end of one of these sessions [engineer Steve Christensen] was actually rushing to get a microphone up because Leon was ready to sit down and start singing. Really awesome themes or really cool melodies that didn’t need a whole lot to flesh out, but a little extra space, maybe moving things around, a little reharmonization here and there. A lot of that stuff ends up happening away from the studio, so you can get into your craft and you can try things: You can throw things at the wall and see what works and what doesn’t work. I like to use plenty of randomness in how I create and then coax those pieces back into a solid form.
“Texas is home even if all of us don’t necessarily live there anymore. I think you always want to have a piece of home in your output, in your creativity. It’s you.”
— Laura Lee
Both acts are from different parts of Texas. What’s your connection with that state when it comes to its geography and how it informs your music?
Lee: I mean Texas is home even if all of us don’t necessarily live there anymore. I think you always want to have a piece of home in your output, in your creativity. It’s you.
Definitely. There are so many legendary artists from Texas. Who are some of your favorites, and did they inform these songs at all?
Speer: Esteban “Steve” Jordan is definitely one of my favorite Texas artists without question. Not the drummer, the accordion player.
Bridges: I love Townes Van Zandt and I love the other side of the spectrum of it with H-Town, the R&B group out of Houston. I guess we weren't thinking of a specific artist. I think the songs are a reflection of the amount of influences we’ve accumulated throughout life. We’ve pretty much let the creativity flow organically.
“Mariella” is a really striking song. How did that one come together, and what does it mean for all of you?
Speer: This is one of those tracks that Leon started singing with the acoustic guitar and I was like, “Man, this is a really good tune.” I think this is one of the ones where I started to cut it up and move it around and create an arrangement of it. But as far as lyrically, that’s all Leon.
Lee: Except for the actual “Mariella” part, because sometimes when Leon was just strumming and singing to himself with us rushingly putting microphones up to capture him, he was just singing under his breath and mumbling. But I think it’s been a really beautiful and interesting process crafting those songs from Leon having these little personal moments with just him and the guitar. I don’t know how many songs are written that way, but it’s been a really cool process because we’ll try to pull the guitar out and just have Leon’s vocals, which is a really cool exercise of “What can you do with that piece?”
“Every time we get back in the studio together or bump into each other on the road at some point crossing paths, it’s like seeing old family. Leon is like the cousin you see at Thanksgiving at this point.”
— Donald Johnson
Bridges: Yeah, that was a melody I wanted to get off for a minute and I just kind of envisioned myself as an old man in a small town in Texas, disconnected from everything and reminiscing about this gal I met on tour. It was the marriage of country and R&B in that way, and I was thinking, “How would Willie Nelson approach this tune?”
Leon, do you enjoy writing songs from other people’s perspectives?
Bridges: I wouldn’t say I lean more toward that, it was just what was perfect for that song. In the same way as “Doris,” that was a song I wrote from my father’s perspective. Experiences that I haven’t experienced, but it’s kind of telling someone else’s experience in song.
I know you’re mutual fans of each other. What was it like working together?
Johnson: For me, it was fun. We met Leon on tour—he brought us out to support him back in 2018, so that was our initial handshake, so to speak. Every time we get back in the studio together or bump into each other on the road at some point crossing paths, it’s like seeing old family. Leon is like the cousin you see at Thanksgiving at this point.
Leon, you’ve collaborated with a lot of artists throughout your career. What was this one like for you?
Bridges: It was nice to be in a room where the ego isn’t there, and it was just liberating to not have to adhere to any type of formula and just get in there and do what we do. I deem Khru-gang as family—that’s the Texas connection right there, and I hope we continue to just make dope art together.
Do you have any plans to release any more music together?
Speer: We’re going to keep our plans secret for now. You never know. FL
