Bio
A multi-instrumenalist, Matt plays melodeon, mandolin, fiddle and sings. He began learning the violin aged 5 years old but broke off from the classical mould when he started attended folk clubs and festivals. When he was 9 he began classical lessons on the mandolin and again began to break away from the classical side of things to concentrate on folk music. From 2005 to 2007, he performed in a trio called Too Many Strings (along with current Boombox Karavan members Dogan Mehmet & Tom Redman). The band came to an end when University beckoned. Matt & Dogan moved to Newcastle and Tom went to Sheffield (joining them in Newcastle a year later). In 2008, Dogan formed Dogan and the Deerhunters and invited Matt & Tom to join the band. With the Deerhunters, they toured the UK twice and played at many national world and folk festivals. The band has recently had a personel and name change to Dogan & the Boombox Karavan. He began playing the melodeon in the spring of 2008 and that became his instrument of choice to study on the Folk & traditional Music degree course at Newcastle University. During his time there he has been taught by several of the UK’s top players including John Spiers, Andy Cutting, Saul Rose, John Dipper and Stewart Hardy. In 2009 he was recruited to play melodeon with the Eliza Carthy Themed Ceilidh Band. With them, he has performed at the South Bank Centre, London twice (with ABBA and MOTOWN themes in 2009 & 2011 repsectively) Whitby Folk Festival twice (with THE BEATLES and MOTOWN themes in 2009 & 2010 respectively), and at Sidmouth Folk Festival in 2011 with the MOTOWN theme. In 2010 he formed the English ceilidh band The New Slide with Tom Redman and Nathan Armstrong. They have performed at many top UK folk festivals are well known in the local ceilidh scenes in Sussex and Newcastle. 2012 saw the creation of Bob Stork & the Heaton Playboys, a Newcastle based Cajun band. More information about this as it happens. In late 2011, Matt began making his debut solo album which will be released in the summer of 2012. Watch this space for more information. |
Matt Quinn is fast becoming a well-known name on the English folk scene. He has been performing for the last 7 years in various bands including Dogan & the Boombox Karavan (formerley Dogan & the Deerhunters), and the Eliza Carthy Ceilidh Band (with their themed ceilidhs at UK Folk Festivals). He has performed at a wide range of venues from folk clubs across the country up to main stages at Sidmouth, Beverley, Warwick, and Broadstairs festivals.