Cleopatra Degher was 20 when she released her own debut EP in summer 2012. Her sister Cordelia Degher dropped her debut EP Open Up in 2015. The Swedish/American sisters joined together for a new duo in 2020, Stark Shay, with a debut song and video, "We Begin Again." The song about climate change and climate activism, released on Earth Day, 2020, was dedicated to "Greta Thunberg and all of the young climate activists out there."

The duo's songwriting collaborator is their father Darius Degher (Westwatcher, the Sham Saints, Burning Bridges, Darius & the Magnets), who often produces and plays on the recordings. June 2022 saw the release of a single for "USA/Mexico Borderline," covering a song from Darius Degher's album Garage Sale of the Soul. The Stark Shay version features Cleopatra singing lead, with Cordelia harmonizing.

In December 2023, the duo released their Treasures EP, a five-song collection that includes two unreleased songs - the title track and "Everywhere the Tao" - as well as the previously released singles "Days of Change," "USA/Mexico Borderline," and "We Begin Again."