Kate Sutherland

I’ve been a singer for as long as I can remember, and a prolific song-channeler since my early teens, when I learned to let the piano (and later the guitar) carry my voice. I began by writing and performing longer-form solo songs, but over time my path shifted toward community songwriting, song circles, and the magic of making music together.

I believe singing is our birthright. Yet so many of us move through life believing music belongs to those with trained voices or natural talent. When I discovered the power of song as an experience rather than a performance, I felt called to help others remember that singing belongs to all of us. It’s an ancient, human way to express what words alone cannot hold: to celebrate, grieve, pray, release, connect with nature and find our way back to ourselves. You don't need to know the right notes or sound a certain way. You only need to be willing to let your voice join in.

While I cherish writing my longer-form songs, my heart truly comes alive when I sing with others. I'm endlessly in awe of how many voices can weave together to create something no one voice could achieve alone. Most of my songs are written for many voices; they come fully to life when shared and carried by community.

My songs have been described as mantras, prayers, nature anthems, and cathartic expressions for healing, joy, and calling more positivity into being. I see song as a kind of medicine, healing from the inside out. Singing together invites us to reconnect with the worlds around and within us, and find a deeper sense of connection and belonging. Like ripples moving outward across water, the hope, love, and possibility we cultivate together travels far beyond the circle in time and space.

My work is an offering: to create spaces where people can reconnect with their voices, experience the joy of making music together, and bring more healing and aliveness into the world. To remind us that we don't have to be extraordinary singers to create something extraordinary.

Sometimes, all it takes is one voice willing to begin, and another willing to join.

Alongside my community-centred work, I'm also part of Smoke & Honey, a six-piece band that lets me scratch my rock-star itch on stage. We play a wide-ranging mix of covers and original songs, and I get to share the stage with an incredible group of musicians. We're still finding our feet and having a whole lot of fun along the way!

Follow our musical adventures at smokeandhoney.ca and on Instagram.