Scottish sea shanty sensation lands record deal after TikToks take off

TORONTO -- Scotland's Nathan Evans, a singer-songwriter and former postman, has landed a record deal with Universal after the TikTok of him singing the sea shanty "Wellerman" went viral online in December 2020.

Evans' shanty singing also went number one on the U.K. Singles Chart this week.

"Nothing has sunk in yet," Evans said of his success on CTV's Your Morning Wednesday. "It's absolutely crazy."

Evans credited the "timing" of his TikTok to the meteoric popularity he gained, as "everyone is stuck at home in this pandemic, and everyone can sing along," he said.

"It makes you feel good, it makes you happy, it puts a smile on your face – it's so contagious," Evans said.

Evans said his three-album deal with Universal will feature both sea shanties and his own music.

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  Scotland's Nathan Evans is seen in this still frame taken from one of his TikTok videos. (nathanevanss/TikTok)

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  Nathan Evans, middle, posted a video of himself singing a sea shanty -- specifically, a song called “The Wellerman” -- on TikTok in December and his soulful performance drew the public’s attention.