Growing up in Stavely Alberta, Stokes spent time in her parents' small-town bar, and at eight years old, was sneaking in on Friday afternoons to sing with the local jam band. She has been pursuing music ever since with a heavy focus on songwriting. Multiple artists have recorded songs co-written with Stokes, including CCMA nominees Leaving Thomas ("Like I Used To", May 2019) and alt-pop singer Celia Palli, who is also a backing vocalist for Nelly Furtado ("Paralyzed", January 2019).