The music world today is more interconnected than ever before. The lines separating different genres have faded as the internet allows listeners to discover a mix of sounds.

K-pop artists are teaming up with rappers, country music has taken on a more pop-like essence (or has pop become more country?), and groups are getting creative in how they describe their styles. This has led to a devaluation of terms like “genre-bending” and “crossover artist.”

However, some exceptions exist, and Khruangbin embodies that distinction perfectly. The Texas trio, consisting of guitarist Mark Speer, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, and bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, shows that it’s possible to enjoy music without needing to define it. Their work caught the attention of the Recording Academy, leading to a nomination for best new artist at this year’s Grammy Awards.

The group’s name, pronounced KRUNG-bin, means “airplane” in Thai. Their music often transports listeners to a dreamy state, navigating across different moods and time periods.

This effect is intentional, as Ochoa, who goes by “Leezy,” explains. While modern studios are designed to eliminate background noise, they often create a sterile sound that lacks a sense of place.

To remedy this, Khruangbin primarily records their music in a barn, allowing for natural ambient sounds to sneak in.

“I think it helps create that daydreaming experience,” she shares. “Even if listeners don’t consciously notice it, it allows them to drift into a different space.”

Ochoa was pleasantly surprised by the Grammy nomination, seeing the awards as typically focused on the pop world. She felt the nomination for best new artist was especially unexpected, given that the group’s debut album is now ten years old. However, upon learning that “new” can refer to achieving a new level of recognition, she found the acknowledgment to be “emotional and inspiring.”

Khruangbin’s recent release, “A LA SALA,” presents a mesmerizing collection of 12 tracks that blend dark bass lines with warm, groovy melodies for a sunlit ambiance.

For the most part, the songs are free from lyrics, which adds pressure to convey emotion without them.

Ochoa notes that the band always starts with the bass, guitar, and drum tracks, only incorporating lyrics if the song requires them.

“We aim to follow the song’s lead,” she explains, likening the creative process to arranging a bedroom—instinctively knowing how to orient the furniture based on the space. Songs guide you in the same way.

“As society evolves, it can sometimes limit our imagination,” Ochoa reflects. “By not spelling everything out, we trust the audience to grasp the story themselves, allowing them to create a narrative that resonates personally, which is far more powerful than what I could impose.”

This confidence in their audience influenced Khruangbin’s decision to pursue a subtler sound in “A LA SALA.” Ochoa describes their previous album, “Mordechai,” as a more vibrant and energetic effort, tailored for larger festival crowds with its upbeat and vocal-centric tracks, while “A LA SALA” opts for a quieter tone.

The album title, meaning “to the room” in Spanish, hints at the various cultural inspirations found in their music. Speer, whom Ochoa refers to as the driving force behind their eclectic sound, often introduces them to music from around the globe, regularly seeking out records from far-off places.

“He has a knack for finding unknown music,” she says.

Ochoa notes that listening to songs in different languages can be liberating, as it shifts the focus from lyrics to sound.

“The beauty of music in other languages is that you may not grasp every word, making it akin to instrumental music,” she explains. “A human voice connects more than instruments because everyone has one. When you engage with music in another language, you can relate on a human level while crafting your own narrative.”

This rich, sample-laden sound is what makes it difficult to label Khruangbin’s music within a specific genre.

With over 6.5 million monthly listeners, they are categorized as “Indie rock” on Spotify and “alternative” on Apple Music.

Currently, Ochoa isn’t particularly concerned about fitting into any genre. “Humans naturally categorize things; it’s how we communicate about them,” she remarks, acknowledging that as artists, they prefer to avoid being confined to a box.

Joking about a recent yacht rock documentary titled “Music Box,” which featured artists like Steely Dan and Toto dismissing the genre label, Ochoa quipped, “Maybe someday someone will finally coin the right term for our music and we can politely decline.”