Growing up in Los Angeles, Lily Donat always had a knack for storytelling, especially through sound. The granddaughter of Helen Reddy, Donat has songwriting in her blood, honing her craft and learning on the go. But to commit to a career as a musician, Donat had to shed some of her pain and focus on finding her emotional center. \u201cI was always writing songs, but just kind of waiting for opportunity versus chasing it. Recently, within the last year, I was like, there’s no option but to give this my all,\u201d she tells Audiofemme<\/em>. \u201cYou find your way and you learn on the fly and cool things happen that way. There\u2019s no one way to do things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That commitment has paid off – Donat released her debut single “Supernova” in November of last year, following it up in December 2021 with “Most Important Man.” Today, she premieres “How It Feels” on Audiofemme<\/em>; taken together, the three tracks tie loosely together in a trilogy that documents Donat’s personal journey in overcoming a toxic relationship fueled by obsession and heartbreak. “How It Feels” is the story’s uplifting conclusion, analyzing how the singer-songwriter felt after that period of emotional turmoil, and the subsequent growth from the experience – the musical equivalent of the notion that with the closure of one door another opens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s a three-part story and each song is like a story on its own. With this song, I wanted to kind of be\u2026 truthful, but optimistic and hopeful. It’s the emergence of hope\u2026 the song of recovery and healing,” Donat explains. \u201cI hope it’s energizing. I hope it’s that kind of song you hear when you think you might be coming on the other side of something [and can] see the light at the end of the tunnel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n