Naarm/Melbourne songwriter Winter McQuinn crafts folk and soft rock infused with psychedelia, environmental themes and social / introspective commentary. Across his three solo albums A Rabble Of Bees (2021), Move To The Trees (2024) and Where Are We Now? (2025) as well as album Midtown Downtime (2026) with folk duo Beefheart & McQuinn and EP Recently I’ve Been Missing The Colour Green (2024) with collaborator Acacia Pip (Pinch Points), McQuinn has established himself as a distinctive voice in contemporary Australian folk music. Across these releases he has earned praise from Rolling Stone AU, KEXP, Stereogum and triple J, Double J, RRR and toured Australia, Europe, the UK and North America, performing alongside artists including Stella Donnelly, Sonny & The Sunsets, Kacy & Clayton, Leah Senior, and Sylvie. These releases also included collaborative efforts with Dylan Young (Way Dynamic), Hot Apple Band, Feign Jima and other Australian artists. McQuinn has also performed at festivals including Berlin Folk Festival, New Colossus Festival (US), The Great Escape (UK) as a solo artist.

Background

Over the past seven years, he has immersed himself in music as a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and drummer for bands such as Sunfruits, jade imagine, Ruby Gill, playing at prestigious festivals and venues across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, US and UK. These festivals and venues include Bigsound, Manchester Psych Festival (UK), Misty Fields (NL), The Forum, The Enmore, New Colossus Festival, Great Escape and others. Notably, in 2023, his band Sunfruits garnered critical acclaim for their debut album, "One Degree." which saw positive reviews in The Guardian, Rolling Stone AU, NME Australia and other high level reviewers.

With an Honours degree from VCA in Interactive Composition he is an active part of the music and environmental community, co-founding Green Your Noise (a carbon calculator for musicians / creatives), and was a finalist for the Environmental Music Prize 2023 (with Sunfruits). EcoAnthem Awards UK 2024 and the Upstart Award 2024, subsequently winning the Upstart Award in 2025.