Conversations with Stef w/ an F

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stef w/ an F.

Hi Stef, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My story starts when I was very, very young & writing homemade books at 5 years old. As I grew older, I became more fascinated by condensing my books & making them into poems. Eventually, those poems turned into songs & I was hooked.

I wasn’t exposed to a ton of music growing up, so I more or less started creating music when I wanted to hear it. I played in every school band & sang in the school & church choirs. I performed around my home state of Montana at talent shows, coffee shops, and piano competitions, & I played guitar in a rock band & trombone in a jazz band. I also started my own music studio at 14 years old, where I taught private music lessons to kids around town. When I was 17, I moved from Montana to Minneapolis, MN to attend music school & start my own band. After jamming with classmates for a few months, City of the Weak was formed in 2012 & we immediately started touring. I cycled through a lot of bandmates over the first couple of years since we were still teenagers back then, but I somehow kept City of the Weak afloat with a lot of hard work & determination.

Fast forward almost 11 years and my band City of the Weak has completed 30 tours & shared the stage with greats like Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, and Rob Zombie, & played tons of major music festivals around the country, including Summerfest, Inkcarceration, Chicago Open Air, Rock Fest, & so many more. Because of all the behind-the-scenes work & strategic management I’ve done in getting my band to where we are today, I also landed myself a position at The Pride Management, an artist management company out of Los Angeles. I’m super honored to be working with some of the best in the music industry, & I look forward to seeing where both my business & music ventures take me in the future.

Last but not least, I also started a custom clothing line in 2020 called HXTEFUL. I sew & paint flannels & jackets, mostly inspired by or collaborations with City of the Weak, to create one-of-a-kind pieces.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely not. I’ve been touring for almost 11 years with my band, so that aspect alone has brought countless struggles & issues.

We’ve had broken-down vehicles on many of the tours, been screwed over by various industry people & promoters, rolled one of our vans, been robbed multiple times, ruined our finances, & have lost many great jobs, relationships, & friendships along the way. I feel like I’ve sacrificed anything & everything for my career, but I have no regrets.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in music, music business, & music education – so pretty much everything music! Musically I’m known for my clean vocals, & brash yet inspiring lyrics. When it comes to teaching music, I’m known for going above & beyond for my students to help inspire & push them to be the absolute best they can be.

I’m most proud of how I’ve figured out how to navigate & climb the ladder in such a tough industry. The amount of consistent success I’ve had over the years musically, business-wise, & teaching-wise is really shocking to me considering how DIY my band & I still operate. I think my consistency & drive is what sets me apart – I’m always worried if I’m giving enough, so I give every project my all & it definitely shows.

What matters most to you?
No matter where life takes me, I always want to be inspiring & helping those around me. My impact on the world means the most to me. And my chihuahua Lily, of course!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cityoftheweakofficial.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stefwithanfofficial/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefanie.huschka/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/stefwithanfcotw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/cityoftheweak
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/city-of-the-weak
• Other: https://www.hxteful.com

Image Credits
Shawn Brandon, Cody Hoffman, Sarah Carmody, and Lauren Klinge