Stephanie Babirak Interview: A Deep-Dive into Her Creative Process

Stephanie Babirak brings a unique flair to the music scene as a professional harpist who bridges the gap between her classical training with modern day contemporary music by creating an indie-folk-pop sound that is quintessential to her as an artist. Based in New York City and Portland, Maine, it’s not uncommon for the ethereal tones of her harp to meet the deep bass beats of DJs, join a whimsical circus, complement the distorted guitars of a rock band, add elegance to any wedding, or to simply bathe listeners in soothing sound and healing vibrations.

Babirak has been lauded by The Huffington Post as a “seraphic” artist and “a lovely harpist,” as she uses sonic experiences to whisk her audiences away to another world. She has performed in prestigious venues in New York, such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Terminal 5 and toured nationally. Babirak also boasts a resume of features in Super Bowl commercials and working alongside artists like The Joy Formidable, Adele, and Andra Day.

Despite all of this, she is looking most forward to in 2024 is the release of new music – recently kicked off by her newest single “Leaving on the Light.” In anticipation of what’s to come, we sat down and asked her a few questions, diving deeper into her creative process, dream collaborations, and career goals as an independent artist.

How would you describe your music?

Stephanie Babirak: “Indie folk rock/pop that happens to have a lot of harp in it.”

Who would you most like to collaborate with?

“I would probably die of happiness if I ever got to collaborate with Radiohead…I just love them so much and think their music is so smart.”

Which act would you want to tour with?

“I would love to tour with Modest Mouse. They’ve been one of my favorite bands for forever and they put on an EXCELLENT live show. Isaac Brock is a killer guitarist and also such a weirdo? I feel like it would be a great time in addition to being pretty dreamy for a fan girl such as myself.”

If you could change anything about the music industry what would it be?

“Equal opportunities and pay for non-male artists! It’s gotten a lot better in my adult life but the music industry is still really male-dominated and it can be kind of a bummer…For example, in the last 10 years, women only account for like 21% of the artists on the Billboard Top 100.”

Stephanie Babirak cover art for “Leaving on the Light”, image by Johnel Clemente

What do you like most about playing music?

“I think that music is kind of magical and just makes people feel good. I love that it can change my mood for the better in just a second or I can connect to older parts of my life with the nostalgia of an old song. I also love learning other band’s or composer’s music…there’s music out there that I would never write but I love to play—it’s like you get to step into someone else’s beautiful, complicated brain for a bit.”

Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?

“Absolutely playing live! You really have to be completely present and focused when playing live…I’m a kind of anxious person and a recovering perfectionist, but when I’m playing live, there isn’t time to be thinking about the mistake that I may or may not have just made or the weird thing that I said to that person 5 years ago. Plus, I love the energy of playing music with other people and the energy of an audience all listening to the same thing, sharing one moment in time together.”

For those not familiar with your band, can you tell us a little bit about yourselves?

“I grew up in a suburb of Portland, Maine, and I’ve been playing music since I was 5 years old. I’m trained classically in piano and harp, but I’ve always loved indie rock and have been in bands since I was a teenager. I came down to NY to study music and then never left! Peter and I met in college at music school, and we have been writing music and collaborating ever since.”

What’s next for you?

“I’m releasing one original song a month for the next 5 months! I’m really excited for the songs to be out in the world…after everything is released I’m hoping to do some kind of tour.”

What is your writing process like?

“I start off writing everything on the piano. Sometimes I start with a chorus or a verse but then I try to let a song settle into itself…I’ve learned nothing good comes out of rushing the creative process. After I’ve gotten the form and lyrics down, I’ll practice the song for a week or two and play around with the harmonies and melodies. Then, once I feel like things are more solid, I’ll record a demo and send it to my friend and collaborator and amazing guitarist, Peter Scoma. From there, we just pass the song back and forth with things that we’ve added or things that we are trying. This is my favorite part…it’s so fun to hear what gets added! It’s usually something I never would have thought of or added myself which is part of the beauty of collaborating with someone you really trust and respect.”

What are some of the newer bands that you are listening to or enjoy?

“I’ve been really into boygenius and each of the member’s solo projects. I also love Big Thief, there is something about their music that elicits a really particular mood that is just so consistent across the board in all of their songs…it’s amazing. Also, Rainbow Kitten Surprise! Such a ridiculous band name but really great music…I’ve been playing it on repeat.”