The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett

From Blue Ridge to Radio: Laurel Sabadosh’s Country Climb and the making of “Who’s Counting”

• Chris Bennett • Episode 126

Share episode

Send us a text

A shy songwriter from Blue Ridge, Georgia finds her voice in Nashville—and hears it on the radio for the very first time. We welcome Laurel Sabadosh for a candid, electric conversation about the long climb from private demos to a premiere spin of “Who’s Counting,” the unexpected tears that came with it, and the brand-new single “Leave,” a key chapter from her upcoming EP, Behind Closed Doors.

We dig into how Laurel writes idea-first and lyric-forward, shaping songs that read like truth-telling letters more than diary entries. She shares the queso-fueled night “Who’s Counting” fell out in one write, why the song never needed a second pass, and the line from “Leave” that hits like a door finally opening. If you’re curious about making music that actually helps people, Laurel’s approach—start with the real story, resist sanding off the edges—offers a clear roadmap. We also talk milestones that matter: CMT placements, first band shows, how radio still feels different from streaming, and the best way for new listeners to dive in with “You Ain’t a Cowboy” and “Up With God.”

In the final segment, we widen the lens to community and responsibility with an on-the-ground update from Globe, Arizona after devastating floods. You’ll hear how local schools, hotshot crews, businesses, and Cal Ranch teams mobilized—moving supplies, grabbing shovels, and proving how fast a town can rally when neighbors need help. The throughline is simple and strong: tell the truth, show up for each other, and let the music carry what words alone can’t.

If Laurel’s story resonated, follow along, add “Who’s Counting” and “Leave” to your playlist, and share this episode with a friend who needs a nudge to bet on themselves. And if you enjoyed the show, subscribe, rate, and leave a review—your support helps more listeners find these voices.

SPEAKER_05:

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett's Country Con, Star of the Week. This week it is Laurel Sabotage originally from Blue Ridge, Georgia, now living in Nashville, Tennessee. Making big things happen. She has a song released tonight, and we're gonna play her new song, Who's Counting, today here on the radio. Laurel, thanks so much for joining us today.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, before we get to the nitty-gritty and find out about your country climb, I thought we'd play a game called Rapid Fire Questions. You ready? Alright, what's the first concert you ever attended?

SPEAKER_03:

Um I think it was Britney Spears.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, really? Hit me, baby, one more time. Nice. How long ago was that?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh gosh, I don't know. I was definitely not even 10. I don't even know how long. Oh, it's been a long time.

SPEAKER_05:

Do you have a go-to karaoke song?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, before he cheats.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, nice. Uh, do you prefer morning rights for songs or evening rights?

SPEAKER_03:

Um, I prefer in my schedule morning rights, but I write better songs in the evening.

SPEAKER_05:

And you're from a small town of about 1,500 people, it's is what the Google told me. Uh, in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Do you have a favorite uh small town hangout, small town restaurant, or small town food?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes, I love Canterbury. It's a sandwich shop right downtown, and I have to go every time I'm home.

SPEAKER_05:

And last question, Laurel. It's gonna be the hardest one I ask all day. If you had one country song to request for the rest of your life, what country song are you requesting and why?

SPEAKER_03:

Oh, that's so hard. Um, probably the house that built me. I think that song is so cleverly written, and Miranda Lambert is my favorite artist. So between the two, I would have to do that.

SPEAKER_05:

Lorel, it's now time for a segment called The Country Climb, where we find out uh about your journey, how you started country music. And let's start with how'd you start? Did you start in your small little town of Blue Ridge?

SPEAKER_03:

Um, yeah, I have always done music growing up, but I was really shy about it, especially in high school. Uh I had somebody eventually find a YouTube video that I had posted and they put it all throughout town and ended up forcing me to do the high school talent show. And then I started getting a little bit more confident. I ended up moving to Nashville after college. This whole time I've been writing songs, um, but not really doing anything professionally with them. And then I moved to Nashville to be a paralegal for the attorney general and would walk on Broadway every single day and cry my eyes out because I wanted to be singing. And then I ended up uh posting on a fake Instagram to gain my confidence, and now here I am doing it full-time on my real Instagram.

SPEAKER_05:

And what was the moment that like made you say, I'm all in, and I'm gonna stop posting on this fake account and I'm I'm I'm going in as as Laurel Sabotage?

SPEAKER_03:

I think it was just seeing how excited people were about my music because I've always been writing at as a place of wanting to help people and finding songs that I was searching for on the radio that no one was singing, and so that's kind of how I started, and when it was resonating with other people, I was like, okay, this is what I meant to do.

SPEAKER_05:

And what has been your biggest pinch me moment during your country climb? And you could give me a couple.

SPEAKER_03:

Okay, yeah, I feel like there's been a few things over time. I had two of my music videos went on CMT, and that was at cmt.com, so that was amazing. Um, going on the playlisted podcast was awesome, and getting to be now on the radio, I'm so excited. Uh, I always am having country moments, just playing my first band show, just doing even the small things make a huge difference.

SPEAKER_05:

And Laurel, it's now time for musician questions. For a musician. First question What's your songwriting process? Are you melodies? Are you lyrics? Give us a little insight.

SPEAKER_03:

Um, I'm more idea and lyrics. I like to turn songs into stories, so I try and pull, even when I'm writing with other artists, um, more of their raw story into the song instead of just making it everyone's song. I think I should do the artist song first.

SPEAKER_05:

Do you have a favorite line you've ever written to one of your songs?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes. Um the song I have coming out tomorrow, which I'm really excited about. One of my favorite lines is This House feels like a prison sentence counting down the minutes until it's over.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, that's beautiful. And what what song is that?

SPEAKER_03:

It's called Leave, and it comes out at midnight on Eastern time tonight.

SPEAKER_05:

Nice, and then you have you're having like a uh premiere party for that song tonight, right?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I am here in Nashville, premier party acoustic showcase at 1865 Club.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh my gosh, so cool! And and then you're on the show with us, and then you're gonna head to that premiere party? A bunch of new music coming out from our uh country music best friend Laurel Sabotage. Is there a uh a ritual that you do before shows or any superstitions?

SPEAKER_03:

Not really, no. Pray and help pick him for the best.

SPEAKER_05:

And last question: do you have a dream collaboration?

SPEAKER_03:

Um, of course, Miranda Lambert, but I think somebody up and coming, Austin Snell, would be somebody I would love working with. I think we have similar vibes.

SPEAKER_05:

So Laura, we are about to play one of your new songs, Who's Counting? Tell me a little bit about this song, how it came about. You told me off air that it's your your favorite song you've you've ever written. Why is that?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so this song was an unplanned right. I wrote it with my best friend, Zoe Walega. We were out to dinner eating chips and queso, and I was filling my guts out to her about a past relationship that I went through. We ended up going back to my house, and this song fell out of us, and we never felt a need to ever fix it because it felt perfect from that first night.

SPEAKER_05:

So wow, that's magical. That doesn't happen for every song.

SPEAKER_03:

Oh no. And most songs I do, like the ones that I end up cutting, like at least three rights with it. So that was crazy.

SPEAKER_05:

And is there anything in particular you hope uh listeners take away from from the song?

SPEAKER_03:

Or yeah, I just hope that people who are going through something that they feel like they keep forgiving over and over again, they realize they're not the only person who has done that. But hopefully they realize they shouldn't keep forgiving someone who keeps making the same mistake.

SPEAKER_05:

Laurel, it is now time for us to play your song. This is the first time this song's been played on the radio.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, it is. I'm so excited. I haven't dreaming of this, so thank you so much.

SPEAKER_05:

Have you ever had any song on the radio that you know of?

SPEAKER_03:

Or I believe my song, You Ain't a Cowboy, was on the radio, but I did not do an interview or anything for it. So this is my first interview.

SPEAKER_05:

And it wasn't your favorite song you've ever written.

SPEAKER_03:

No, it was not. And this is actually the second song on my upcoming EP coming out. So I'm really excited about that too.

SPEAKER_05:

Well, the moment we've all been waiting for for the first time on radio. This is Laurel Sabadosh today's country climb star of the week with her song Who's Counting on Q Country 925.

SPEAKER_00:

Two water down whiskey glasses, they go bringing up best. Are you taking your guilt, putting it on me? Sick of putting out all the fire So I throw gas on me and watch the flames get higher. Three years I spent four getting it. Couldn't sleep there by our sun, still light away. I got over what you did with what you did. How to go from putting your mistakes on me thinking I would do the same damn thing. It ain't fair to switch the baby streaks. All these pointed fingers just divide us. I'm not sure if I could take another time turned into two Three Years I spent forgiving Couldn't sleep there, but still I wake a fish back. Sit the six land doors and drunk backs, hip boats running the mass in a tin.

SPEAKER_05:

That's Laurel Sabadosh with her new song, Who's Counting, right here on Q Country 92.5. It's the first time played on radio, but who's counting? Not me. Holy moly, Laurel, that was amazing. Love that song.

SPEAKER_03:

Um so much for playing it.

SPEAKER_05:

You're welcome. So, like in in the day of streaming, and and uh that seems to be a big part of a musician's life, you know, wanting to get those streams. Does being on the radio, is that still something special?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, oh, for sure. I mean, I think every artist wants to hear their song on the radio. And I know streaming means a lot because it's people looking you up wanting to hear it instead of kind of getting played, whatever what everyone else wants to hear, but hopefully the song is on the radio way more.

SPEAKER_05:

Absolutely, everyone. Make sure you follow Laurel Sabotage on Instagram, on all uh social medias, TikTok, YouTube, you name it, Facebook. Give her those follows. It helps. It's uh Laurel L A U R E L S A B as a boy A D is a dog O S H. Give her a follow and go to all your streaming platforms wherever you download music and download her music. Add her to the playlist, add who's counting to that playlist. And she's got a new one coming out at midnight.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, check it out. I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_05:

Absolutely, and that one is called That one's called Leave.

SPEAKER_03:

Part of my bigger project called Behind Closed Doors.

SPEAKER_05:

Heck yeah, so there's plenty of new music coming your way from Laurel Sabotage. Give her a follow. Watch her country climb and her country rise. Laurel, it's been so much fun hanging out with you today, and thank you for being our country climb star of the week.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so honored. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05:

Chris Bennett and the morning brew. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this? Good morning. This is Laurel Sabotage.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you so much for playing. Who's Counting?

SPEAKER_05:

Oh my gosh, Laurel Sabotage, our Country Climb star of the week. Uh, we um did that interview yesterday, and you were on the Facebook Live, and you got to hear that song be played for the first time on radio live. Uh, tell us what that feeling was like.

SPEAKER_03:

Um, it was amazing. I don't usually cry. I'm not a crier, but I teared up for sure. So thank you guys so much for playing. I'm an independent artist, so it's good to know my hard work is paying off.

SPEAKER_05:

And uh you actually uh have a song uh that just got released today, right? Leave? Leave? Is that what it's called?

SPEAKER_03:

It came out today. It's called Leave. It's the next chapter of my relationship for my upcoming EP.

SPEAKER_05:

Nice, and you had a a nice little uh concert to celebrate the release party. Uh tell us uh what that was like and were there any exciting moments that uh that happened.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I played here in Nashville last night to do the release party. I got to play Who's Counting and Leave along with a few other songs, and it was just nice because um the person I wrote Leave with uh ended up playing the guitar for me. So it was a really fun night, and a bunch of my friends in the industry came out for it.

SPEAKER_05:

Oh, well, congratulations, that's so great. And for those of you that are just uh learning about Laurel Sabotage, uh you have the new song coming out, Leave. We heard the new song, Who's Counting? Um, if there were two other songs you would recommend people listen to to kind of get the full vibe of who Laurel Sabotage is, what uh songs would you recommend they go and uh download and listen to?

SPEAKER_03:

Um, I would say go listen to You Ain't a Cowboy and Up With God. Those are the other two songs I released this year, so it's my new sound.

SPEAKER_05:

All right. Do you you know what? You called in. I think we uh deserve to hear another song from you. Can we listen to You Ain't a Cowboy? Yeah, let's do it. Heck yes! Two songs in one day on Arizona Radio. Laurel Sabadosh, thanks so much for being our Country Climb star of the week. And uh we hope you have a wonderful weekend, best friend.

SPEAKER_03:

Thank you so much. You are the best.

SPEAKER_05:

Bye.

SPEAKER_03:

Bye.

SPEAKER_05:

Here's today's Country Climb Star of the Week, Laurel Sabadosh with You Ain't a Cowboy on Q Country 925.

SPEAKER_00:

Don't call me darling.

SPEAKER_01:

We don't hit the hardwood, don't in the garden, look through don't go no more be a smart hill queen, you and my wife, stealing the bread from being with a tiny candy more, and you can't do it.

SPEAKER_05:

He is uh coming to us from uh Globe, Arizona, the site of those uh devastating floods that recently happened. Josh, thanks for being on. Can can you share a little bit about uh the recent flooding, how it's affected uh your staff and uh their families in Globe?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, absolutely. Um we are a family out there, and so we've all got associates and and friends and family that have been impacted by this tragedy, and so um we're doing everything we can to just help out, and whether that's donations or uh or boots on the ground trying to help recovery.

SPEAKER_05:

And how did you see the community come together in those first uh in those first few days uh after the flooding?

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, it's it's been amazing. We've had uh you know hundreds of people out there, we've had uh high schools come out, football teams, uh we had uh the culinary class out there today delivering pizza that they all cooked. Uh we've had corrections out there, uh some hot shots were out there, uh and then just residents just walking down the street trying to grab shovels and help wherever they can. It's been amazing.

SPEAKER_05:

What has Cal Ranch been doing to support the Glow families in and the recovery efforts?

SPEAKER_04:

We've been donating supplies, uh we've been working closely with the chamber, trying to identify the most urgent need, uh, and then coordinating with our sister stores to get those those products transferred in. Um I personally uh got a team out here, all my store managers uh uh volunteered to come out uh with a you know with just a few moments' notice. They they jumped in their cars, they uh came out here, and we've been on the ground just uh you know digging out uh local businesses that uh that needed the help.

SPEAKER_05:

Why is it so important, would you say, for Cal Ranch and you personally to step up in the community in their time of need?

SPEAKER_04:

Um because we're part of the community. Uh you know, we we all uh live and and work together in this community, and and so you know when tragedies like this strike, it's it's just it's our responsibility as as uh both uh uh a business and uh you know individuals within the community to help out.

SPEAKER_05:

And you you had mentioned and I I had read this earlier, you guys uh had a huge shipment of shovels and uh supplies come in uh uh to the community to help uh people with their efforts of recovery. Uh are those supplies still available? If people need help, uh what what should they do? And for people that want to help, uh how can they get involved?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, there's there's uh absolutely uh a lot of uh supplies out there that they if they're just coming in, stop at the local chamber. Um they can get you set up with uh gloves and boots uh and shovels. Um otherwise if you head out to the uh downtown area there there's shovels everywhere, we've got wheelbarrows, we've got squeegies and brooms and water and um everything you could uh need to help out um all over the place.

SPEAKER_05:

Josh, this has been Josh Sabino, he's the district manager for Cal Ranch. Uh he's coming to us from Globe. Thank you so much uh for uh joining us this morning and letting us know about the relief efforts, and thanks so much for uh everything you and Cal Ranch are uh doing for the community uh there in Globe in Miami.

SPEAKER_04:

Absolutely, it's been my pleasure.

People on this episode

Contributor

Chris Bennett

Host