about me

“there’s a place at the table for all of our wildest dreams.”

music has brought a lot of beautiful things to my life, and for that i am immensely grateful. i happily call Charlottesville, VA my home and have planted strong roots here in my twenties.

writing songs has been a practice that started at four-years-old, and i've never really stopped. when i was 12 my friend shelby lock and i had the time of our lives writing and producing my first album "my heart beats." we would slam the closet door and dampen the room with all of shelby's mom's linens. we released it when i was 14, and managed to have around 80 people at our show held at c'ville coffee (which was a big deal for us at the time).

since then, i've released a few singles and three other albums:
golden fire (produced by henry harrell),
it's all beautiful right here (produced by myself, david de perez, bryce rivera, and jacob sommerio),
and the light on fifth (produced by myself, jacob sommerio, and david de perez).

some of my fondest music memories include:

• when i toured it's all beautiful right here along the east coast (nyc, boston, dc, richmond, charlottesville [chicago + seattle cancelled due to covid])

• the time i made it on a couple of editorial spotify playlists (new music friday USA + new music friday australia)

• writing songs with my friend john michael barry in my living room

• being a part of covid zoom songwriting camps with maverick city

• singing on sundays with the worship team at my church

• experiencing the magic of working on songs with my friend jacob sommerio (owner of english oak recording)

• being on the top of a beautiful virginia mountain (they're mountains to us, okay??) with 360 views of the landscape, and co-writing my song asegurame

• being so nervous that i spilled half of the americano i was bringing to a co-writing session with my now pal, joey ramirez (from of the land), and then recording that song at copeland's "the vanguard room."

• silly songwriting prompts and deep conversations with the songwriting group i helped lead alongside wayne mccarty in lakeland, fl.
  

i want to be someone who “lives with a heart on fire.” i aspire to be *all in* with whatever i do: to be slow to speak + quick to listen, and truly care for people. this is what i hope flows from my heart while in songwriting rooms, studio sessions, and creative direction projects. cheers to all that has taken place and all that is to come!

many thanks to my copyeditor, Christina Webb, for cleaning this up. :)

for formality’s sake:

Lily Garay is an independent pop singer/songwriter based in Charlottesville, VA. Listening feels like sprawling in the grass on a warm sunday afternoon, kissed by the sun. She likes for her time to be filled with writing songs and making music, playing with her nieces and nephews, the farmers market on Saturday mornings, serving in her local church, and laughing with her friends.