Exclusive: Could KT Molepo Be Gearing Up For A Massive Comeback?

KT Molepo was undeniably one of the Alt scene's most captivating bassists on stage. In light of the Alt scene's recent triumphs, we sat down with him to discuss the scene itself, the good old days, his hiatus, and gaming—an activity that has taken centre stage in his life.

Background

KT was born and raised in Pretoria, often joking about Centurion not falling under Pretoria. ‘I grew up in a home where I was fortunate enough to be exposed to and allowed to appreciate all types of music. My journey into alternative music actually began through the influence of my older brothers.’

He picked up bass at the age of 14, an experience further enriched by his friendship with his mentor, Chad Knight. Joining his first band, Only When It Rains, in 2009, we fast forward to 2023, where he is no longer actively making music. Yet, KT emphasises, ‘don't think it will be like this forever.’

Why ‘Only When It Rains’ Broke Up

In 2013, the scene was shocked as KT's band, ‘Only When It Rains,’ posted on social media announcing their breakup. KT shared insights into why they made that decision and how he navigated the transition.

‘Well, to be honest, the band parted ways on mutual terms. Speaking on behalf of the other members, I'd say it was to pursue other possible passions. This led to Alicia becoming the owner of Sorcery Coffee, which everyone should check out. It was quite challenging for me initially and led to me putting music aside for some time, as it was the first project I was a part of that, for lack of a better term, made significant waves within the scene.’

Most Memorable Experience

KT has had many extraordinary experiences during his days as a bassist. He fondly reminisces on his most memorable one.

‘I would definitely say Oppikoppi 2017. We had a slot on the Skelm stage, and this was the year where a date change to the festival and adverse weather almost led to us forfeiting our set. However, it eventually played along, and we delivered one of the best shows as a band on that day, alongside I AM.’

The Bass/Gaming Connection

There's a striking contrast between playing bass and gaming, and KT delves into the dynamics between the two.

‘Music and gaming have always been significant parts of my life. Other than the cliche Tony Hawk games having amazing soundtracks, I never really thought of merging the two worlds. The gaming content was truly a passion project, something I'd wanted to start for the longest time, dating back to my League of Legends playing days when I followed Twitch streamers like SIV and Imaqtpie. There's definitely room for these two worlds to merge, should one be willing to put in the effort.’

Gaming Setup

We got KT to give us a peek into his gaming setup and favourite games. Gaming is a true passion for him, so we expected an impressive rig.

‘I'm currently running an Intel i5 11400f, an Asus Z590, with 16GB of RAM, and a Zotac 3060ti. Recently, I got myself the Razer Black Widow V3, which I am absolutely in love with. I have a few more upgrades in mind for the future. As for games, I'm currently enjoying Fortnite, because who doesn't love playing games with friends and being slightly competitive without the toxicity that some other games are known for? I'm also still invested in Diablo 3, thanks to Precision Surface. I've also just started playing Death Stranding, a game I've had for a while but couldn't run on my old rig.’

A Return to Music?

Marcelle of Walk These Skies recently made a public proposal to bring KT out of retirement. We asked KT if there are any plans or desires to return to music in the future and what his official response to Marcelle is.

‘Lol, I'm definitely keen to jump back into the music scene. I could only thank bands like Middle Grounds, Sunken State, Da Beach Boyz, Human Nebula, and Ghast for slowly but surely reigniting that flame, per se. I've never actually been one to want to be in a 'heavier' band, but what these guys are doing has me considering it more and more. Marcelle knows what the answer is, and let's just say people might be in for a surprise appearance from myself, maybe sooner or later. And also, before I forget, I would definitely like to thank Ian Van Der Merwe, aka Itsjouska, on all social media for being a big part of why I've reconsidered music again.’

Advice

As always, we end with some pearls of wisdom from our guest, and as expected, KT delivered.

‘Be like that one clothing brand and just do it. I think as creatives, we tend to overthink everything and strive for perfection. What I've learned from creating mainly gaming content is that nothing will ever be 100 percent perfect. The more I stress about what I want to share or put out, the less content I actually produce. By putting out those imperfect videos, I was and am still able to slowly tweak what I need to and still share my content. It's also quite nice to look back at some of the horrendous or cringeworthy videos to see how far I've come in this journey. It's a reminder of my growth, both in skills and during challenging periods when I wasn't feeling my best but still pushed through to create the content and ended up feeling better.’

Conclusion

For those fortunate enough to have witnessed KT in action back in the day, his reputation as one of the best bassists in the country holds true. Many eagerly await the possibility of seeing him in action once again, despite gaming currently taking centre stage. It's heartening to know there are prospects of his return. Until that day, we'll be waiting with open arms, deep within the pit.

Stay updated on KT’s gaming and music shenanigans here.