Q&A: Tips on Setting a Musical Mood for Any Function, from Columbus DJ Lady Sandoval

When I sit down for an interview with Sara Hollabaugh, the first thing she says is, “I’m surprised you knew my name.” She’s only half joking. Locally, Hollabaugh is better known by her DJ persona, Lady Sandoval. When she’s not spinning records at events around town—including Deep End Swim Club, her summer pool parties at Hoof Hearted Brewing, and Candy Rain, her monthly ’90s R&B dance party at the Oracle in Olde Towne East—the Los Angeles native serves as the marketing director for Seventh Son Brewing and its sister breweries, Antiques On High and Getaway Brewing. 

What was your initial impression of Columbus? When I first moved here, I was surprised at how tight-knit the [creative] communities were, which I love, but I think it was really hard when I first moved here, because I didn't know anyone. Making friends as an adult everyone says is really hard, and it can be. I kind of leaned on my connections within the service industry at first. I became a regular at Curio, the beloved cocktail bar that was in German Village. I think it was my second week here, and I got off work, and I'm like, “I'm gonna find a good cocktail bar.” So I just Googled “best cocktail bar in Columbus,” and I found Curio. I loved it. It was amazing. It snowballed from there with all the connections I made just at that bar. 

How did you get into DJing? It never was anything I considered doing. It honestly was my friend who was like, “You need to do something with all of these records. You should DJ.” They were like, “You know how to put together a really good playlist. It's essentially the same thing, except it's playing your records.” So that's how I still approach it. Technically, I'm not an amazing DJ. I'm not blending and mixing and doing all these weird transitions. But I have good taste, and I have good records. So that's why I started doing it. And it's really fun, and people actually responded to it, so I kept doing it. 

What's the key to creating a good playlist for a party? Knowing what the tone of the event is supposed to be. If you want people to dance, that's one thing. If you want people to be able to have a conversation, that's another. What I like to do when I'm building a playlist is take one song and be inspired by that one song, and then see how I can build a playlist around that one song. I think when you start noticing the playlist too much, it takes you out of the moment. If you have a track by Steve Lacy, and then all of a sudden, you have something by Adele, it's not necessarily going to work. Try to stay within the same tempo or vein that you're going with and try not to just throw in the kitchen sink of stuff that you've been listening to. 

Follow Sarah Hollabaugh on Instagram at @ladysandoval_dj. 

This story is from the September 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.