Pelonomi Moiloa  and Itani Thalefi are the duo who started the band 8 Bars Short two years ago. Photo: Rofhiwha Madzena

Pelonomi Moiloa and Itani Thalefi are the duo who started the band 8 Bars Short two years ago. Photo: Rofhiwa Madzena

Pelonomi Moiloa and Itani Thalefi formed their band 8 Bars Short two years ago. Moiloa, a Wits biomedical engineering graduate, is completing the 3rd year of her 2nd degree in electrical engineering. Thalefi is completing his honours degree in Sociology. Moiloa is a self-taught guitarist and a vocalist. Thalefi taught himself to play guitar and also sings. Despite their busy schedules, they still find the time to develop their mutual love of music, rehearsing and performing at local hangout spots in Johannesburg.

How did you two come together?
Moiloa: He [Thalefi] invited me to one of his poetry sessions and then I gate-crashed one of his band practices … I joined his band but then we kind of split apart and now it’s just the two of us.

What kind of music do you produce?
Moiloa: We’re not sure.
Thalefi: I feel like music right now is in a genre-less space. There’s no need to box things into anything and putting us in a box also limits us to a particular genre. Labels suck.

What inspires your music?
Thalefi: It’s really just experiences, just reflecting on what we go through and what other people go through.

Does your music speak to social issues?
Moiloa: You lose a very wide audience when you start talking about social issues.
Thalefi: I don’t want to be boxed into the that thing. I’m a human being like anyone else and I’m just reflecting my experiences. I’m just having a conversation with me, my guitar and Nomi [Moiloa] on stage.