Here’s how Lily Donat describes the genesis of “Build It”:
I started writing this song on the back of a motorcycle, looking up at redwoods. I started to feel the divinity of nature, and it felt separate from any people or memories associated with it; the trees were beautiful and perfect on their own. That’s when the lyric “And he didn’t build it” popped into my head, and it resonated deeply. This song is a celebration of wildness, adventure, and femininity that is separate from the boyfriend you traipsed through the woods with, or even the patriarchy that is so embedded in our culture, and aims to dull the untamed feminine force that blooms with nature. Originally more solemn and folk-y, the song became an optimistic pop banger in the studio. Stefan Mac, a great previous collaborator, produced the song.
Lily Donat is a Los Angeles native and long-time songwriter. At age 11, Lily learned to play acoustic guitar and began composing songs instantly. She has always found healing through writing and singing music about her real life. Laden with symbols, images of nature, personal narrative, themes of darkness and hope, her songs are the pages of her diary she’s willing to share. Inspired by pain, growth, nostalgia, love, heartbreak, and all things human, Lily likes to write the messy truth.
