Now residing in Minneapolis, the 2019 New Ulm High School graduate has been playing guitar since 2015 and singing even before that with his dad, Tim, who was a big inspiration for him.

“I always liked singing since I was a little kid,” Augie Babel said. “I did all the show choirs and extracurricular choirs in middle school and high school, stuff like that, just really liked it. My dad also, he played guitar and would sing a lot when I was growing up, so it was something I liked to do.”

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter said that he has a lot of memories growing up singing with his dad, who also continues to perform musically.

“We would sing on the porch sometimes when I was a little kid, stuff like that,” Augie Babel said. “When he got me my guitar, he told me, ‘You just need three chords and a story,’ which I always think back on. It’s kind of a fun way to look at songs.”

Photo courtesy of Isaiah Schwab Since taking the stage for open mic sessions last year, Augie Babel has taken more gigs this year with growing confidence and interest.

Both Babels will also be playing a set at The Grand in New Ulm at 7 p.m. on June 20, along with Lee Weber. While the father and son will have separate sets, the two may end up performing a song or two together.

Augie Babel does have some of the same musical tastes as his dad, such as John Prine and Bob Marley, but he’s making his own waves with a genre-bending approach that’s hard to explain, but easy and fun to listen to.

“I don’t really know,” he said. “It’s kind of indie, kind of funky … I combine a lot of different influences, I listen to a lot of different stuff. It’s hard to pinpoint it down to one genre.”

When playing a live gig, Augie Babel said he focuses on mostly playing his originals while mixing in a few covers. As for what those originals sound like, an unlikely genre inspired much of his early songwriting.

“When I started writing songs, I was listening to a lot of rap music, which I don’t make rap music, but I think there’s a lot of storytelling in that, which I like to do,” he said. “In any kind of songwriting, it’s cool, telling a story, whether it’s your story or a story of people around you.

Photo courtesy of Norah Shea Augie Babel is a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from New Ulm has performed around the Twin Cities area more often since last year, such as at The Terminal Bar in Minneapolis, pictured above.

“Then I also started listening to a lot of Amy Winehouse the past couple years, lot of The Replacements, stuff like that. Some more like neo soul kind of stuff, too, like jazzier things, too.”

Augie Babel didn’t start out playing regular open mics or gigs until last year, but his confidence has grown tremendously since his first live performance. When not attending sporting events or hanging with friends in his free time, he’s happy to add more live gigs to his schedule.

“The first open mic I actually did was a little over a year ago now at Aster Cafe, but that one I remember being real nervous because it was less of an open mic and more of an open sign-up,” he said.

With this gig, Augie Babel said he had to send in a video audition to be considered.

“Seemed to be a bit more fancier than like a typical open mic, so I was really nervous for that,” he said. “But as I’ve done it more and more, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable and confident, just having a lot more fun with it.

Augie Babel's Spodify code

“And it helps when you see other musicians that will recognize you, too, remember you, come and say hi, it makes you feel more at ease, more comfortable in the space.”

Currently, the young Babel has two songs out on all common music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube, but he’s written a lot more. One challenge he deals with is completing some of his songs due to the battle he has with himself trying to perfect every message and story he wants to tell.

“It’s hard not to overthink it,” he said. “You want what you’re saying to be perfect and the message in the song to be perfect and real well thought out. And sometimes that can be good, but sometimes the song’s best when it’s more of a lightning-in-a-bottle situation, just going with the flow of what you’re feeling in the moment.”

As he prepares to play on the same bill as his dad in public for the first time on June 20, Augie Babel is looking forward to returning to New Ulm to share his music and talents with family, friends and Grand-goers.

“I’m really excited about it,” he said. “Gonna have a lot of family there. It’ll be fun because I’ve seen my dad play at The Grand before with Lee, and that was really cool, I was kind of inspired when I was younger. It’ll be a cool moment, kind of a full-circle thing.”

In addition to hearing him on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music, Augie Babel also has an Instagram to check out @augiebabel.