Knott showcasing Indigenous musicians
Curve Lake musician hosting four-hour afternoon show on The Spirit of Ottawa
Peterborough’s Missy Knott is hosting a radio show on a new station in Ottawa that’s aimed at shining a light on Indigenous musicians.
The Spirit of Ottawa, 97.5 elmnt FM, is one of two new radio stations licensed to First Peoples Radio, a subsidiary of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Both Ottawa and Toronto stations play 25 per cent Indigenous content and launched Wednesday at noon.
Knott, 29, is hosting the afternoon drive from 3 to 7 p.m.
She found out months ago that she’d landed the job but was told to keep mum until the station’s launch.
And that was no easy feat for the musician, who likes to share everything on social media.
“Keeping that secret from everybody was really hard,” she said.
The Curve Lake First Nation’s member started working for the station about two months ago, helping to get it off the ground.
Her first on-air shift was Thursday.
“It was really cool. I was getting text messages saying I sound great,” Knott said, adding her friends from the Ottawa area tuned in to show their support.
Knott earned her radio chops at Extra 90.5 FM. She hosted a 10-munite segment on The Regulars, a daily talk show, for over a year.
Now, she’s hosting her own four-hour show, where she gets to create the playlist and introduce listeners to Indigenous music they might not otherwise hear. And that puts a smile on her face.
“I’m just really happy that I can give pride back to the people that are creating this music and who are taking the time to let other people hear.”
A Tribe Called Red and Mob Bounce are two of the Indigenous groups listeners can expect to hear on the station, along with Genevieve Fisher, a country singer.
“I’m pretty stoked about that (Fisher) because at this point, there’s not a whole lot of country happening on this station,” Knott said.
As a “country girl,” Knott said she’ll be seeking out other Indigenous country singers to feature on the station.
Yes. That’s right – Knott has gone country.
“I’ve done the cross over – I think I’m country now,” she said laughing, adding the transition happened after singing at the Havelock Jamboree last summer.
She won’t be playing her own songs on air just yet though. Knott said she wants her new community to get to know and trust her first.
She and her daughter, Lyrik, 3, move into their new home in Ottawa in November.
Leaving her hometown for the radio gig was bittersweet, Knott said. Getting a steady pay cheque is a nice change from being a starving artist but leaving her friends and family behind was tough.
“I’m going to miss Peterborough a bunch, and I can’t thank Peterborough enough for the past 12 years.”
Knott will be home this weekend, though. She’s performing at Peterborough-Kawartha MP Maryam Monsef’s Women’s Leadership Awards at Showplace on Saturday.