Former postman from Airdrie storms charts with Tiktok shanty
Postman Nathan Evans is poised to enter the top ten on the Official Singles Chart with his viral sea shanty Wellerman.
The song, a smash hit on Tiktok, is set to be the highest entry on the chart, based on preliminary sales.
Evans, 26, from Airdrie, has quit his job as a postman after kickstarting a viral craze of sea-shantying on Tiktok (dubbed Shantytok) and signing a record deal with Polydor Records.
Evans has previously said: "Back in the day when the shanties were sung, it was to bring everybody together, to keep them all in time, to keep the morale high. Especially in this time when everybody's stuck at home, they're doing their remote working, they can join in, and it kind of brings everybody together.
"So I think it's just kind of brought it into this day and age. It makes it feel like you're all united, especially seeing how creative everybody can be with it."
Wellerman is a cover of Bristol group The Longest Johns' 2018 song, which also entered the Official Top 40 just last week at No 37.
Evans has released his own take on the shanty, plus a dance remix produced by 220 Kid and Billen Ted, which is tipped to enter the charts at No 4.
Wellerman is the most downloaded song of the week so far, the Official Charts Company said.
The maritime viral trend has taken everyone by surprise, it seems, and one member of a 32-year-old shanty singing group thinks it will "do nothing but good for our genre of music".
Thesheringhamshantymen in Norfolk have been keeping the tradition alive since forming in 1988, and one of the group – 52-year-old John – said he welcomes the trend, despite being confused initially.
"I have to say I was a little bit like, 'What on earth?'" he said. "I actually then uploaded the app on to my phone. I'm amazed at how it's taken off. And I'm amazed at the celebrity faces that have gone with it, the likes of Gary Barlow, that's got to be a good thing.
"It helps to widen the general perception of sea shanties, which takes away that old fogey bit of it and makes it much more acceptable. I love it, I think it's great! I think it's going to do nothing but good for our genre of music."