Image Credit: Zoltan Tasi

Nathan Evans has quit his job as a postman after signing to Polydor records.

As RouteNote pointed out a couple of weeks ago, one of the only lovely things to come out of the latest set of lockdowns has been the spontaneous sea shanty craze that has gripped the world, leaving the internet awash with ancient sailor songs. For one postman however, it’s been life-changing – or ex-postman, rather, as the originator of the #ShantyTok trend, Nathan Evans, has quit his Royal Mail job and signed to Polydor records.

Evans’ original rendition of shanty ‘The Wellerman’ attracted millions of views and has spawned umpteen collaborations and remixes across the internet. He’s now making waves in the UK Top 40 with the release of his first single with producers 220 KID and Billen Ted, who’ve added house beats to create an EDM remix of the sea shanty.

Yes, it’s now stuck in your head. A cover by Bristol band The Longest Johns is also riding high in the charts.

It must be hard for Evans to fathom his overnight success. It was barely half a year ago that he posted his first shanty video on TikTok. Time will tell whether or not his viral success will tide over into a music career. It bodes well for plain sailing for the future that aside from a love of sea shanties Evans is also a guitarist and songwriter, as he told the Independent:

I write my own songs and music too, but if people like the sea shanties and they bring a good amount of joy to people then I don’t mind doing that. Music is an absolute passion for me, if it makes people happy then I’m all for it.

Nathan Evans