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Local singer makes her own kind of music

Shelby Babakioff has a repertoire of her own and a debut single coming out this spring.
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Salmon Arm talent Shelby Babakioff started with covers but has grown her ability to write her own material.

Some habits are hard to break.  When Shelby Babakioff was a little girl pretending to be a singer, she had a necessary prop for a microphone.

“I had the remote control – and I still do when I practise,” she admits laughing. “It’s so lame.”

Now, instead of belting out Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez  or Jewel songs, Babakioff has a repertoire of her own and a debut single coming out this spring. The singer/songwriter’s style ranges from soft country to groovy R&B to a driving rock.

As much as she loved singing when she was growing up, it wasn’t the career she envisioned.

“My sister (Brittany) was the real talent. She was more the singer... I was always energetic and super hyper.  I just loved twirling and dancing.”

Babakioff was also more into soccer and the school track team. But that changed when she got a leading role in a musical.

“In the school play, Footloose, I was Ariel – singing and dancing. I fell in love with the whole part.”

Already in high school, Babakioff was writing music and lyrics and decided then to pursue a singing career.

After graduation she went to Selkirk College in Nelson and talked her sister into joining her.

It was hard work, says Babakioff, taking 13 classes, working on weekends and doing gigs.

The students had a number of ‘showcases’ or public performances as part of their curriculum, and a lot of them put in the extra effort to make it more than a simple performance.

“For our ‘showcases’ we were using our talents to help other people. We were doing a lot of fundraising for churches and families who are less fortunate.”

Besides helping those local charities, Babakioff also helped raise money for Operation Smile, an organization which provides free medical procedures for children with facial deformities.

While she was in Nelson, Babakioff took part in a lot of gigs with a heavy rock band.

“We did Rush, Led Zeplin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd –- I was a rocker chick. On the side as singer/songwriter, I was doing country, blues, jazz, roots and blues, and pop.”

Three years later, the 21-year-old had a diploma and was off to Vancouver with little money in her pocket but a lot of determination fuelled by her dreams.

“I got a serving job at Earls the third day in. I had a home studio and I was writing and recording before my shifts. I was doing some modelling and go-go dancing on the weekends, wearing crazy, sparkly, glittery costumes. It was fun but I worked too hard and got burned out. It was fast-paced and then I crashed.”

Babakioff was in Vancouver for eight months. During that time she was either working or sleeping; she didn’t have time for anything else.

“The first four months I loved and then I started to get anxious. I lost weight and I was super anxious.”

Babakioff came back to Salmon Arm.

“I wasn’t even working, I couldn’t run.  I was 110 pounds. I had strep throat so I couldn’t sing. I was going through such a crappy period – a deep dark space.”

Her songwriting helped her deal with her emotions when she didn’t have the stamina to get out of bed.

“For about a year I was out of commission. My music got me out of that basically – and family of course.”

Now Babakioff smiles as she talks about career and the next steps.  Her debut single, Whisper in the Wind, will be released before the end of June.

“I’m sending it to Toronto to be mastered at the same studio as Jann Arden. I’m really excited.”

Babakioff is planning a B.C.-based tour in August with Aimie Laws, and part of the tour proceeds will go to Operation Smile.

“I’m doing all my stuff and she’s doing her stuff and together we’ll provide harmonies or backup vocals for each other. It’s my first official tour ever and the first time I’m doing keyboard for myself,” she says laughing.

After that, Babakioff says she’ll have to move where there’s more opportunity. It might be Toronto, New York or even Australia where there is “a killer music scene.”

But on the immediate horizon, Babakioff will be playing Saturday, June 28 at Brothers Pub in Sicamous and June 29 at The Last Drop in Revelstoke.

“It’s a lot of work,” she says referring to the amount of rehearsal time she is putting in. “Sometimes I don’t want to do it – I’d rather be out tanning, but then I get bored and I want to sing.”