OSYPA (AKA Alexandra Babiak) is a lover of old jazz icons like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald. Her debut album, Luna, is vulnerable, tinged with loss and grief, as she wrote the songs after the sudden death of her mother.

Her latest video, “Every Winter“ (directed by Heather Rappard), is a recollection of her family trips down to Florida. “We would drive twenty-two hours in the car, my brother and I arguing the whole time and punching each other,” notes OSYPA. “But somehow my mum always managed to make us feel good about our downfalls; always putting a positive spin on things. I miss that.”

We caught up with OSYPA this week.

Photo: Kate Killet

SDTC: What should we be paying more attention to?

O: Listening to one another, especially people who’ve had it tough; just give people a chance to tell their story. Put down your phone and have a conversation.

What was the last Netflix series you binged on?

Ozark.

One new thing you learned this year?

I’m learning to speak Spanish.

What inspires your latest EP?

Loss and grief encapsulate two of the songs on the EP. I lost my mum four years ago and these songs are a snapshot of my feelings afterwards. The other song is about the anxiety you feel falling in love with someone, not knowing what the outcome will be (we never really know), as well as knowing that life is a cycle of gains and losses; fearing the inevitability of endings, but pursuing relationships anyway.

What book/song/lyric/etc is resonating with you right now?

Phoebe Bridgers’s song “Motion Sickness” is really speaking to me right now. The lyrics just seem to match what’s going on with me perfectly.

Describe the funniest thing you’ve experienced in recent memory.

I work at a nursing home, and during dinner a man asked if I would cut his fingernails with a pair of scissors.

Best advice you’ve been given?

Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end. (Pretty sure this is John Lennon, but my mum used to say it ALL the time.)

Photo: Kate Killet

What is the best part of being your current age?

Being twenty-six is confusing, because I don’t really feel like a fully formed individual, and everything is changing. It feels good to be able to let go of people and experiences that no longer feel good to me, and let go without feeling guilty about it.

What word or phrase should we use more often?

No, thank you.

What’s on your night stand?

Stress-release spray from Saje (for sleep), ear plugs, and my e-reader. I can’t fall asleep without reading a book first.

What one item would you be lost without (besides your phone)?

Technically two items but my agenda and my meds.

What do you love most about humanity?

Almost everybody dances/taps their foot when they hear music. This is a small thing, but music really unites people and there is always at least one song that makes a person smile/brings back a memory.

Photo: Kate Killet

What trends are you loving right now?

Doggo Lingo and wide-legged jeans/pants.

Who was your celebrity crush when you were a kid?

Simba from The Lion King.

Describe your ideal Saturday.

Waking up late, having a big cup of coffee, doing a crossword puzzle. I dog-sit a lot, so going to the leash-free in High Park with whichever dog I’m taking care of, and listening to a true crime podcast. Then making dinner at home with friends and drinking margaritas.

OSYPA is releasing her debut EP this weekend at Handlebar (159 Augusta). Get deets here. You can also purchase her debut album, Luna, here.