Laura Lee Ochoa | |
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 Laura Lee Ochoa performing with Khruangbin at Haldern Pop (2019) | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Leezy |
| Born | October 14, 1986 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Khruangbin |
Laura Lee Ochoa [1] (born October 14, 1986) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. She is the bass guitarist and one of the founding members of musical trio Khruangbin.
The daughter of Mexican-American parents, [2] Ochoa played piano and guitar as a child, but picked up bass at the suggestion of future bandmate Mark Speer. Ochoa met Speer in 2007 through friends, where they initially connected over a shared love of Afghan music. [3] Ochoa was an art history major with a focus on art of the ancient Near East. She worked as a math teacher for six years. [4] At the time, Ochoa was interested in playing piano again and Speer suggested she "follow the sound of the bass," which reframed her approach. [5] [6] This recommendation led her to begin playing bass guitar in 2009, which she says came very naturally to her. [7]
Ochoa has recorded five studio albums with Khruangbin: The Universe Smiles Upon You (2015), Con Todo el Mundo (2018), Mordechai (2020), Ali (2022) and A LA SALA (2024) as well as two EPs: Texas Sun (2021) and Texas Moon (2022), both with the band and Leon Bridges. Prior to forming the group, Lee played bass on tour with Yppah. [5] In April, 2021, she collaborated with Los Angeles–based singer-songwriter Niia on the song "Not Up For Discussion." [8]
In Khruangbin, Ochoa performs as "Leezy," an alter-ego that helps her keep some parts of herself private: "It helps me separate from her and it helps me emotionally to put it on her, so I let her take on all of the pressure." [5] She is the band's creative director, using her training in art and architecture to set up staging and create choreography and graphic design. [9] Both she and Speer sport long black wigs while performing [10] and "Leezy" goes through many costume changes throughout a show. In 2011, she made the decision to never wear the same outfit twice on stage, estimating that she has worn 600 different outfits while on tour. [11] She wears two different outfits per show, a decision inspired by Elton John, who was known to change up to four outfits. [4] She is also inspired by Prince who handled choreography and played guitar at the same time. [9]
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