'It's been a whirlwind': Shanty-Tok's Nathan Evans on kickstarting a viral trend and his new single 'Told You So'

The last six months have been non-stop for Nathan Evans, who single-handedly started one of TikTok's biggest trends in December last year.

It was the 26-year-old singer-songwriter's cover of a 19th century sea-shanty that racked up hundreds of millions of views on TikTok, making Nathan an instant international sensation.

Following the global success of 'Wellerman', which topped the official singles charts for a total of over 40 weeks across six countries, the Scottish singer has released a new single, 'Told You So', along with a Digital Farm Animals Remix version.

Evans has also just announced a string of UK and European tour dates, kicking off right here in Dublin later this year.

'Told You So' definitely still has that sea-shanty ambiance about it, but the track is infused with a dance-hall beat set to feature on the soundtrack of everyone’s summer.

The video shows Nathan playing the song in a number of locations: Newhaven, Brighton, Haywards Heath, City of London, West Wickham and Crystal Palace, to name a few.

'Told You So' is the product of a day's work in the studio by Nathan, producer Ross Hamilton and Scottish duo (and brothers) SAINT PHNX.

"We went in one day with with nothing and we can back out at the end of the day with that song," Nathan explains to Hot Press, smiling. "And we just knew it was an absolute tune."

"I've been through loads of different jobs, and music's always been in the background. I've always been slowly trying to make it and obviously you get the people who are like, 'It's time you got a real job'. This song is just me basically saying 'I'm here now, told you so!'"

Before TikTok propelled Nathan to global stardom, he was working as a postman in Glasgow to pay the bills. But he was steadily working away on music all the while, using social media as a platform.

"I would go in my work, come home, and then make a video on TikTok or YouTube, I would record it all, edit it and upload it to wherever it was going. That's kind of the way I'd always made music, and that was where my audience was. So I would just upload songs to social media platforms every week."

When he uploaded a traditional sea shanty to TikTok - a cover version of a New Zealand whaling ballad 'Wellerman' - Nathan grabbed the world’s attention in December 2020 with his masterful harmonies.

@nathanevanssThe Wellerman. ##seashanty ##sea ##shanty ##viral ##singing ##acoustic ##pirate ##new ##original ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##singer ##scottishsinger ##scottish♬ Wellerman - Sea Shanty - Nathan Evans

Having since signed to Polydor Records, Nathan's version of 'Wellerman' was remixed by 220 KID & Billen Ted, which became his official debut single in January. Since then, 'Wellerman' has topped the charts in 10 countries while clocking up a staggering 500 million streams.

"It's been a whirlwind, everything's changed, but it's been amazing. It's a dream come true," he said.

The last six months have been absolutely crazy for Nathan, but he's showing no signs of needing a break or slowing down. He's in the studio constantly working on new music for his debut album, and in December will kick off an astonishing 21-date European tour, starting at Dublin's Academy - an impressive feat for his first ever headline tour.

"It's absolutely massive, I cannot wait to play live music in front of a live crowd and in a venue it's gonna be fantastic. Especially getting to meet people that have put me here in this position. So I can't wait."

Tickets for Nathan Evans at the Academy in Dublin on Wednesday, December 1 are available now on ticketmaster.ie.

Watch the video for Nathan Evans' new single 'Told You So' below: