Nathan Evans

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Nathan Evans is a Scottish folk and country singer, born on 19 December 1994. Before becoming a musician he worked as a postman for Royal Mail in Airdrie, a town east of Glasgow. He attended Caldervale High School and has a university degree in web design. He began playing guitar at the age of eight. He was a fan of Blink-182, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Paul Simon, and later was influenced by Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran.

Music and breakthrough

In 2020 he became known by posting videos on TikTok in which he sang sea shanties. Earlier he had already put pop and folk songs on the platform. In 2021 he released his version of the folk song Wellerman, which topped the British singles chart and also charted in several other countries. His debut album Wellerman: The Album was released in 2022 and did reasonably well in continental Europe. In Germany it reached number twelve. In 2024 1994 followed, which entered at number one in Scotland and, with the single Heather on the Hill, received a silver certification from the BPI. In January 2026 Angels' Share was released, an album with Saint Phnx.

Influence

Evans said in a 2023 BBC documentary that he had struggled with his mental health. His breakthrough shows how a social medium could, in a short time, turn an old song, a sea shanty that was passed on by word of mouth for generations, into a worldwide hit.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2022Wellerman: The Album
• 20241994
• 2026Angels' Share