10 Quick Ones with STEF w/ an F of CITY OF THE WEAK – May 2018

According to a recent press release: “City Of The Weak has just released the new video for their cover of the Incubus song “Pardon Me”.  The video can be viewed at YouTube. The band is gearing up for the Turn It To 11 co-headline tour with Echo Black starting on April 7th in Fayetteville, NC and wrapping up May 5th in Norfolk, VA.  The band is also scheduled to play Rocklahoma in Pryor, OK on May 25th. From Minneapolis, MN, City Of The Weak haven’t slowed down since forming in 2012.  The band has toured the United States relentlessly and are on track to play their 400th show in 2018.  After being featured on EMG TV, spending 13 weeks on the Loudwire countdown, and receiving over 1.3 million views on their first six music videos, City of the Weak have proven to be one of the hardest working bands in America.”  We get Stef w/ an F to discuss new music, influences, and more in our 10 Quick Ones…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through? Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Our latest release is a single called “Pardon Me,” which is originally by Incubus. The accompanying video is a live compilation from our summer 2017 tour, shot by Jordan Lindley of Glam Tie Media. A fan or listener might not immediately grab the embellishments we made in the song, like minor vocal changes & extra guitar layers. With a few listens they are pretty easy to catch on to.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I’ve been into art & writing since I was extremely young. I used to bind construction paper with yarn to create little books when I was in kindergarten. I loved writing the story, and my favorite part was bringing the story to life with my illustrations. Eventually my writing turned to poems which turned to songs when I got an upright piano around age 8. I’ve never really loved anything else. When you really are an artist, I think you just follow your heart rather than make a conscious decision.

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Throughout my life starting at 8 years old – 20 years old: Beach Boys, Shania Twain, Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, and Chiodos.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Jonathan Davis. I love Korn & he has such a distinct voice.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Modern, alternative rock. An angrier, jaded version of old Paramore meets Escape the Fate with moving bass lines. I like to think we are one-of-a-kind: the first City of the Weak.

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

Hearing people’s stories about how you & your music has impacted them. I’ve always wanted to make a difference in the world & it feeds my soul to hear that I have touched people with my art. I also love being in new places with new people every day. Routine gets super stale for me, so I like the adventures that come with touring & making music.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a sing-along?

I’m always hungry so I guess I would be the one cooking? Brent would be drinking, & Cody is always playing guitar or bass. We just got a brand new acoustic PRS that he hasn’t put down since we got it in the mail weeks ago.

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

I would definitely stay in the music industry, despite how fucked up it can be. Most likely I would switch over to the business side & do marketing or event management.

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

There are a lot of missteps, yes, I don’t know a single person or band that hasn’t experienced their share of mistakes. Unfortunately, those mistakes are always what leads us to where we are. Any mistake that I would want to take back would mean undoing an entire chain of events that lead to something great. So no- life is about learning.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park. I used to run home from church on Sundays & sit in front of my CD player just listening to it on repeat. It means everything to me, it made me realize that there are people out there like me, other people are hurting like I am. It was extremely empowering to listen to as a young child. I wrote so many songs influenced by that album.

CITY OF THE WEAK LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Category: Interviews