Matt Woolley is a multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter from Shropshire who plays under the name of Quantum Penguin.
His love of storytelling through song blended with driving instrumentals means his set is one minute lilting and filled with emotion and the next joyfully energetic with soaring Fiddle, Guitar or Bouzouki. He has written a wide variety of songs and tunes, ranging from the traditional Folk song style of The Golden Rose, which tells a tale of a blacksmith getting revenge on a cruel king, to the DADGAD Guitar-driven song Unheard Man, which speaks about the struggles homeless people have just to survive or trying to regain their life and how they are ignored by many, making them effectively unheard, to the flipper-stomping Fiddle tune set The Ships Mess, which gets everyone up onto the dance floor!
Matt is a founding member of the Folk music group String Workshop and enjoys collaborating with fellow musicians and artists on various projects and art installations from Cornwall to Shropshire. His latest collaboration is with the band Two Blank Pages, contributing Fiddle to some of their latest releases and occasionally performing live with them.
He has been nominated three times for Best Folk Artist at the Shropshire Music Awards and additionally nominated for Best Acoustic, Best Solo Act and Best Album (for Adélie) at this year’s awards. He has performed at festivals including Chippenham, Warwick and Bromyard Folk Festivals and the Loop Music Festival in Shrewsbury. In 2024, Matt was delighted to be awarded 3rd place at Lichfield Festival of Folk’s 2024 songwriting competition, along with a performance slot at the festival, with his song This Gift (available to listen here), which is about the preciousness of the countryside and the importance of preserving it for future generations.
His second album Adelie is comprised of his own compositions and won Best Album at the Shropshire Music Awards, as well as Salopian Mixtape’s Release of The Series. He is now preparing to record his third album Galapagos and another album which will be dedicated to traditional Folk songs and tunes.
In his spare time, Matt can be found creating new and inventive briefs for the monthly Shrewsbury Songwriters meetups that he runs, often challenging and stretching fellow songwriters’ (and his own) creativity (and wits!) in the process. He also runs a monthly tune and song Folk session at The White Horse in Shrewsbury, which aims to bring a friendly, relaxed and fun atmosphere for both new and experienced session players. Matt has recently started the Severn Folk website, which acts as a hub for the local Folk community, with local events, artist, dance team and Folk club registers and Folk-related articles. He is also bringing back a Folk club to Shrewsbury in 2026 as the Severn Folk Club, which will aim to showcase local Folk artists.