We are finishing off September of Sound with a bang! On Sunday the 19th of October, we are having a showcase of local song and tune writers, with a whole TEN performances across the evening, with several pieces written during the challenge or from Shrewsbury Songwriters’ briefs earlier in the year due to be debuted. Albert’s Shed in Shrewsbury has kindly agreed to host the showcase and entry is completely free. Music starts at 7pm so make sure to come down a bit early so as not to miss any of the brilliant performers we have.
Tag: Alberts Shed
September of Sound 2025 Showcase
When?
19th October | Music starts at 7-10pm
Performers
Ron Kill
Ron Kill began playing guitar late in life and writing songs soon after. Meeting Rod Graham 7 years ago, they formed Two Hats and Ron performed then for the first time in public.
Since then, Ron has played many gigs and open mics: solo, with Two Hats, the (short-lived) blues band Highway 46 and latterly with Steve Collins as The March Hares. He has written songs throughout this time, one of which, Call Me Later, was recorded with Highway 46 and played a couple of times on Radio Shropshire.
Ron has been a regular attendee of Shrewsbury Songwriters since the beginning and will be playing at least one song that came out of those sessions.
Two Hats Facebook: www.facebook.com/twohatsband
Charlie Jerrett
Charlie began writing songs in Shrewsbury in 1966 – a never recorded and rarely performed 10 song concept album “Greek Lover” exploring emotional responses to being “dumped”! After a 40-year hiatus he took up the guitar again in 2006. A Dean Friedman Songwriting Course in France re-ignited his creative spirit.
Teamed as lyricist with Phil from Machynlleth (ex-Gold Records contracted songwriter), the reaction “Now I know what Bert Bacharach felt like when he met Hal David” both surprised and encouraged him to persevere. Charlie wrote & performed 3 songs based on Benson Bebbington’s poems at the inaugural Big Busk. At successive Busks over 3 years Charlie produced an 11-song compilation “10 Bensons”.
He remains ready to drag out “Happy Days” (a cheery number about alcoholism & homelessness) at any time whether asked to or not! His songs veer from the deep introspection into his depression/anxiety, to humorous, slightly sideways views of life. He treats public performance as aversion therapy for his fears of public performance.
Eleanor Burnett
Eleanor is a local singer-songwriter, pianist and music teacher. Since childhood, Eleanor has been writing intimate, emotionally raw lyrics and poems, incorporating her questions and musings on life. Since meeting at school over a decade ago, Eleanor has collaborated in composition and performances with Joss, guitarist and fellow musician. For Eleanor, making music gives her an emotional canvas, and a special opportunity to connect with others. She’s now beginning work as a local music teacher and embracing the folk scene in Shropshire, keen to get herself back on stage once again to share the world through song.
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ele.sound
Joss Heaton
Joss is an aspiring musician with a varied musical history, spanning multiple genres and instruments. He has played as a guitarist in cover bands and written indie-folk with his friend and collaborator Eleanor as a teenager (see above), composed his own music acoustically and on Logic Pro X, and played bass/composed with a jazz-tinged indie-rock outfit whilst studying Music in Leeds called Arnold Ziff. In whatever form it may come, Joss’ music betrays an ear for melody, a passion for harmony, and a genuine love of music.
Chris Crompton
Christopher Crompton is a singer-songwriter, musician, writer and poet from the West Midlands. He has toured across the UK and the USA with shows combining original, contemporary and traditional music. Christopher is also the organiser of Next Level Folk Club in Stourbridge.
Website: christophercrompton.com
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@christophercrompton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChristopherCromptonWordsandMusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/christophercromptonmusic
Alan Jenkins
Alan is a local songwriter, poet and writer. In his short but eventful solo career, he’s somehow stumbled his way to local cult hero status, with a difficult to define genre of his own which often teeters into many styles but always upholds the great English storytelling tradition. His songs may be upbeat, quirky or surreal, yet still often deliver serious messages. He loves to engage with audiences and sometimes creates work on the spot. He’s been nominated for local awards and has performed at the Troubadour in London, on BBC & 6Towns Radio, Ludlow and Llangollen Fringes, as well as folk clubs and showcase events locally and further afield – and has recently been supporting touring artists.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/alanjenkinsmusik
Instagram: www.instagram.com/alanjenkinsmusik
Sonya Smith
Sonya is a singer songwriter, writer and artist. She’s known for her emotive songs that take her audiences on contemplative cathartic journeys of the heart from lyrically rich contemporary ballads, to bluesy tunes of love lost & found. From the bitterness of betrayal, to the mellow sentiments of resolution, the passion of new found love, and the empowerment of redemption and self valuing. Playing acoustic guitar she draws you into her stories with vocals that have been described as ‘Honey Sweet & Blue ‘ to ‘ Beautiful & Haunting ‘ … “There’s something really captivating about her … you get locked in … Her distinctive tone and sound penetrates the soul. “ ‘ Micaela Wylde – BBC Radio Shropshire ’ . She’s performed at intimate bars, events & festivals including the Ludlow Fringe, Landed, Burning Woman, Festival at the Edge, Witch, Farmer Phil’s , Llangollen Fringe and the International Music Eisteddfod.
Website: sonyasmith8.wixsite.com/website
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SonyaSmithSinger
Scruffian (Ben Dwyer)
Scruffian was dragged through a hedge backwards, but somehow he’s still clinging on to that guitar. Carving songs from the raw materials that come to hand, he winds his tangled strings around questions that have no answer. These songs arose from climbing trees, riding concrete rivers and mowing meadows the old fashioned way. When you lose yourself, you’ve won.
Website: scruffian.com
Intagram: @scruffian
TikTok: @scruffian
YouTube: youtube.com/scruffian
Nikki Rous
Nikki is a local songwriter, portrait artist and live music event promoter. For the content of her song writing, she draws on relatable experiences as well as the emotional challenges of living with disability which produces some very honest and heartfelt songs. What she crafts is emotive, passionate and moving. Over the years Nikki has developed a connected and buoyant rapport with her audiences which makes her performance both scintillating and a genuinely memorable experience.
Nikki has performed alongside and opened up shows for artists such as Jamiroquai, Level 42, Kaiser Chiefs, James, Supergrass, Miles Hunt, Nick Harper, Jon Gomm and many more. She has graced the stages of venues and festivals up and down the country such as The Wolves Civic Halls, The Wulfrun, The Jamhouse, The Glee Club, The Robin 2, Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Solfest, Nozstock, Lakefest, Sistafest, Farmer Phil’s Fest and Sunrise Celebration to name a few.
Website: www.nikkirous.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nikkirousmusic
Quantum Peguin (Matt Woolley)
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.
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.
He has been nominated three times for “Folk Musician of The Year” at the Shropshire Music Awards and his song This Gift, about the importance of the countryside and preserving it for future generations, was one of the winners at Lichfield Festival of Folk’s Songwriting Competition.
Website: www.quantumpenguin.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/QuantumPenguinMusic
Instagram: www.instagram.com/quantum_penguin_music
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@quantumpenguinmusic
Update on Adélie Album, Steep Learning Curves, Songwriting Bronze Medal and Reveal of Album Launch Date
Adelie Mixing
I was looking back on the Adélie album log today and realised how long it had been since an update – March to be exact! A lot has happened between now and then but essentially I decided to mix the album myself.
I had never done anything like this so it was a very steep learning curve! After a few false starts (and some despairing!) I finally began a couple of weeks ago. I had bought a short online course to help me along and it really helped me learn the basics and get to grips with the tracks.
Throughout the two weeks, I started to learn what things I liked (or didn’t) on each instrument and, because I obviously wanted a Folky sound, I tried not to fiddle (pun intended!) too much with EQ-ing, effects etc. (although I do really like reverb, so that features quite a bit!), prefering a raw sound for the album. There were several things that suprised me, including the very rich, bassy sound that the Chin-Cello was able to acheive on the tracks, the way some instruments sound very different when played solo VS in the mix with the rest of the instruments, and how you can use different takes of vocals of a line and combine them to make a very full-sounding main vocals!
I did what you are not supposed to do and used headphones to start the mixing off, later using studio monitors to help rebalance and make sure the tracks were going to sound right across other listening methods. The headphones meant that I was able to take the mixing with me into coffee shops, which really helped to give me some brain-space and a different working environment.
Mixing this album myself has been a really valuable experience for me and gives me complete creative control of how the tracks are going to sound. I really can’t wait to share Adélie with you all!
Adélie Release Date and Album Launch
Now that the mixing process has been completed, I have been able to set the release date for the album. I am also having an album launch at Albert’s Shed in Shrewsbury to celebrate the release of Adélie. Lots more details to come but I am so excited about some of the ideas that have been floated.
The day of the release and album launch is 24th November at Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury
Make sure to save the date to come and join in the celebrations with me!
Songwriting Bronze Medal
A few months ago, I saw that Lichfield Festival of Folk were running their songwriting competition and I thought “why not enter one, it can’t hurt and it doesn’t matter if I don’t get anywhere with it”. So I entered This Gift, my song about the preciousness of the countryside and the importance of preserving it for future generations to come and didn’t expect to hear anything else about it.
A few weeks later, I received an email telling me I was one of the six finalists and I was shocked and delighted at the same time, thinking that I wouldn’t get any further and was very pleased to get that far.
A few weeks after that, I got a phone call from Lichfield FF to say that I had won third place (bronze medal, if you prefer) in a very tight contest and that they would like me to perform at the festival on the 5th of October, as well as attend a songwriting workshop run by the legendary John Tams next year! As you would imagine, I was absolutely overjoyed and totally speechless. I would also be sharing a stage with The Magpies, who I love and really enjoyed their performance at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival earlier this year.
This has been such a wonderful and unexpected treat and I am so looking forward to performing and going to the festival on the 5th of October.
Listen to my submission here: https://soundcloud.com/quantumpenguin/matthew-woolley-entry-to
And find out more about Lichfield Festival of Folk here: https://lichfieldarts.org.uk/the-lichfield-festival-of-folk/
Upcoming Gigs
5th October: Lichfield Festival of Folk
16th October: Bristol Folk House Cafe
21st October: Shrewbury Songwriters’ September of Sound Showcase
23rd October: Albert’s Songwriters Showcase with Quantum Penguin and The Mountain Hares
24th November: Adélie Album Launch