When Nathan Evans went viral with his TikTok sea shanty Wellerman five years ago, the question was always going to be ‘what next?’.
His 2024 hit Heather on the Hill appears to have provided the answer.
The distinctively Scottish folk feel of the song, with its mentions of Aberfeldy and amber whisky under a Caledonia sky, confirmed to Evans that he should embrace the sound of his home country.
“That song was the turning point,” he says.
“It made us realise Scottish culture and folk music should be at the heart of what we do.”
The track, which has had 63 million plays on Spotify, was a collaboration with Scottish brothers Alan and Stevie Jukes, the duo behind pop band St Phnx.
They have been around the scene since 2016, touring with artists such as Imagine Dragons, Yungblud and Lewis Capaldi.
For Evans, who was a postman in Airdrie when Wellerman catapulted him to international fame, Alan and Stevie’s experience in the industry has been a massive support.
“I was thrown in at the deep end, and the boys took me under their wing,” he says.
“Everything they’ve learned over 10 years of touring, they shared with me. It’s been invaluable.”
