London to LA: KTmelodies Interview

Shot by Dan Franco

Interviewed by GK

GK: What inspired your move to LA?

KT: I’ve always wanted to live in America. Since I was young, I just felt like LA was an environment that I could thrive in regardless of whatever it is I’m doing.

Your music often captures the warmth and vibrancy of summer. How has your move from London to LA influenced the mood and energy of your music?

I think that moving away from home allowed me to find who I really was to my core. Growing up in South East London was definitely nostalgic but I always felt like I couldn’t fully express myself in my music the way I wanted to (without fitting a genre).

Your Instagram caption for the announcement of ‘Summer Like This’ mentioned how Summer ‘23 was the most fun you’ve had, embracing life and creating beautiful memories with friends. How do those friendships, memories, and your general life experiences influence your songwriting and creative process?

My friends mean everything to me even if I don’t express it a lot. A lot of my success is tied to them. The bass guitar I made one of my most popular tracks with (one thing KTmelodies flip) was given to me by my friend Terrin. The laptop that I produce all of my music on was given to me by my friend Alexa. The list goes on but I appreciate all my friends a lot.

You’ve got a tape on SoundCloud called ‘the flip tape.’ What initially inspired you to start producing, and how has creating flip beats influenced or shaped your writing process?

Honestly, I just love making music. I’ve been doing it since I was really young. After playing a lot of instruments, it only made sense that I figured out how to start producing my own music.

Creating flips allowed me to focus more on the musicality with the producer side of things first which allowed me to sharpen my producing skills. It’s like a weird superpower. Now, I’m able to feel an emotion and express it through sound. After that, I just write how I’m feeling and the words come naturally.

Your recent releases have a vibe reminiscent of Steve Lacy. Which artists have been the biggest influences on your sound, and how have they inspired your creative direction?

Tame Impala, KAYTRANADA, Sam Gellaitry, Daft Punk, and Jordan Ward.

I listen to all of these artists a lot and I really appreciate their artistry. I don’t try and create music that is exactly like theirs (even KAYTRANADA told me my music is not the same) but I can’t deny that their music has influenced me in my creative direction. 

What influenced me most in the type of music that I create is the music that I grew up on. Oddly enough, that was Avicii, Skrillex, and David Guetta.

Despite living in LA, your music is also gaining traction here in the UK. How does it feel to see your sound resonating with audiences back home, and do you consciously try to maintain a connection to the UK music scene?

It feels surreal. I’m really glad that it’s reaching people back home. My heart will always be in London. Honestly, I don’t consciously try to maintain a connection, but I’m sure people figure out one way or the other that I’m from the UK.

Are there any UK artists in this new wave that you’d love to collaborate with in the future?

Honestly, there is none in mind but I’m letting it happen naturally as I put out more music that defines my sound. Though it’s been really cool to see a lot of artists that I have listened to in the past reach out.

One thing I will say is that my brother (dBona) and I definitely have some exciting stuff on the way. That’s one collaboration I’m looking forward to.

Finally, what’s the ultimate goal you’re striving for with your music? Is there a dream achievement or vision you’re working toward?

I just want everybody that listens to my music to feel like they can achieve anything. My main aim has always been to inspire others, so when people tell me my music brings nostalgia and positive emotion, it warms my heart. 

All in all, I just want as many people on this earth as possible to hear my music and feel it.