If Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, and Lori McKenna had a songwriting circle, Laura Sawosko would fit right in. Her latest album, Not What I Do (dropping April 18), is a beautifully crafted mix of heartache, humor, and hard-won wisdom, proving once again that she’s one of Nashville’s most underrated singer-songwriters. With 12 original tracks, the album takes you on a journey through love, loss, identity, and personal growth, all wrapped in a warm Americana sound that feels timeless yet totally fresh.
WEBSITE: https://www.laurasawosko.com/
Sawosko isn’t new to the game. She’s played Nashville’s most iconic venues, opened for major artists, and even braved the reality TV show Fear Factor back in the day (yes, really!) But what sets her apart is her ability to turn the everyday into something poetic. On “Biscuits and Gravy,” she transforms a Southern breakfast staple into a love letter to nostalgia. “More Than Just a Burger” does the same, proving that a song about fast food can somehow make you cry.
And then there’s “Take My Hand,” an emotional gut punch that feels like something off the best of any contemporary singer-songwriter’s album. With a quiet strength, Sawosko sings about survival and solidarity, weaving in themes of vulnerability and resiliency without ever feeling preachy. It’s raw, real, and one of the most powerful moments on the album.
The title track, “Not What I Do,” is the emotional core of the record. It’s an intimate, stripped-down meditation on identity and the struggle to break free from expectations. Think of it as a cross between Maggie Rogers’ soul-searching ballads and the brutal honesty of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season.”
Sawosko’s voice has a raw, unpolished quality that makes everything feel deeply personal—like she’s singing these songs in your living room, just for you. And while the album leans heavily into folk and country influences, there are moments that feel almost indie-pop. “College Days,” for example, has the same nostalgic energy as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Teenage Dream,” but with the maturity of someone looking back rather than still living it.
APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/laura-sawosko/4420275
Lyrically, Not What I Do is full of those one-liners that hit you out of nowhere. The kind you want to scribble in a journal or text to your best friend at 2 a.m. The final track, “Not Your Reason,” leaves us on a note of quiet empowerment—a reminder that sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is walk away.
Overall, Not What I Do is an album that demands to be felt. It’s perfect for long road trips, rainy afternoons, or those late-night existential crises when you just need a song that understands. Laura Sawosko might not have mainstream radio play (yet), but this album proves she’s making some of the most compelling music in the singer-songwriter space right now. If you love artists like Brandi Carlile, The Chicks, or even the storytelling of early Ed Sheeran, Not What I Do needs to be on your playlist.
Mindy McCall
