Information/Write-up
Raised in a musically vibrant household, Kathy Stack’s early years were filled with the warmth of family harmonies, inspired by her father’s deep, melodious voice. Born in Santa Barbara, California, she moved to Canada as a young woman and found her voice in songwriting and performance. Picking up the guitar in 1964, Stack began performing original material and timeless country standards as part of the band Sodbusters, one of Canada’s early back-to-the-land folk-country outfits based in British Columbia.
In 1973, she released a rare promotional 7″ single on the Haida label, Expectations b/w Even in the Rain, produced by Claire Lawrence. Nearly a decade later, Stack self-released her only full-length vinyl LP in 1982, recorded on Salt Spring Island and now considered a sought-after Canadian private press gem, blending introspective folk with subtle shades of funk and jazz.
After a long hiatus, she returned with Sugar & Salt in 2021—a Bandcamp-exclusive digital album recorded during the pandemic, reaffirming her enduring songwriting voice. Her earlier track “Summer Wind” also gained underground acclaim after being featured on the 2015 compilation Psychemagik Presents Magik Sunset Part One.
Through it all, Stack has remained a quietly influential voice in Canadian folk, blending poetic insight, acoustic textures, and a fiercely independent spirit.
-Robert Williston
Written by Kathy Stack
Produced by Greg Pauker and Kathy Stack
Engineered by Bart Gurr and Greg Pauker
Recorded by Greg Pauker, assisted by Rob Lehman and Eric Booth on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, May and November, 1982
Mixed at Bullfrog Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia
Photography by J. Hyder (front cover); and Glenn Miles (back cover)
Photography by Jane Stack and Arthur Conner
Album design by Amy C. Storey and Douglas K. Rhodes
Clam Flats Music, Box 252, Ganges, British Columbia
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