about

Ellorie McKnight is a bilingual, folk singer-songwriter, old-time fiddler & square dance enthusiast living working and creating art on the territories of the Ta’an Kwach’an Council and the Kwanlin Dun First Nation in Whitehorse, Yukon. She is also a climate change researcher & educator (holding a BA in Environmental Studies & Biology, and a PhD in Climate Change Science), an advocate for food security and climate justice, and someone who deeply loves wilderness.

Ellorie’s songwriting is inspired by vast landscapes, endless dreaming, and wild hearts. Her songs are shaped by delicate vocals, lyrics painting thoughtful reflections of both the individual and collective human experience, and a nostalgia which invites wonder and dreaming. Both her solo and full band performances evoke deep emotion and contemplation about relationships, modernity,
and what comes next.

“for the heart’s sake” is Ellorie’s first EP, released in 2021 and recorded at Green Needle Records in Whitehorse, Yukon. This record is an intimate short collection of stripped down songs showcasing Ellorie’s vocals with acoustic guitar. Her second EP, titled “Equinox”, was released in early May 2024, and features six original songs recorded as a live, in-studio, off-the floor performance with full band: Brigitte Desjardins on drums, Jeff Dineley on bass, Ryan McNally on pedal steel and vocals, and Kieran Poile on fiddle.

Ellorie has also created music and collaborated with a number of acclaimed Canadian musicians including Chloe Laberge (duo record titled Crows, 2014), Claude Munson (violin, cello on Claude Munson & the Storm Outside, 2012), Louis-Phillipe Robillard (viola on Le Cafe des Oiseaux, 2009), Ryan McNally (duo record, self-titled, 2022). She has also performed with Marabou (fiddle and viola), The Lucky Ones (fiddle), and Hendrika (harmonies).

Festival and performance highlights (both solo and with band) include Viva Sounds 2025 (Sweden), Folk Canada 2025, Canmore Folk Festival 2025, Artswells Festival 2025, Tiny Lights Festival 2025 and 2024, Woodstove Festival 2025 and 2023, Alaska Folk Festival 2025, Ignite the Arts 2025, Breakout West 2024, Edmonton Fringe Festival 2024, Dawson City Music Festival 2024, Snowking Festival 2024, Print and Publishing Festival 2023, Festival Saint-Jean 2022, Wonderhorse Festival 2022, and Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival 2022.