Laura Cantrell was born and raised in Nashville, and even though she was surrounded by country music, she never thought about being a singer or songwriter when she was young. She relocated to New York to attend Columbia University before the performing bug bit her. She used traditional country songs as a template for compositions of her own that stretched the boundaries of the music and won her a legion of loyal fans. In 2013, they opened an outpost in the Vanderbilt University area of Nashville in the site of a former, beloved used record store. And as a nod to their new home, they created a Nashville-themed slice named for the Queen of Country Music herself: The Kitty, featuring local Nashville delicacy “hot chicken” and pickles.