Sea shanty singer Nathan Evans has raked in more than £450,000 since quitting his job as a postman to be a full-time musician. The folk musician posted the 19th-century whaling song The Wellerman on social media app TikTok in December 2020 and quickly amassed a huge following.
The 27-year-old from Airdrie, Lanarkshire, left his job with Royal Mail after landing a three-album deal with Polydor Records.
Now accounts for companies set up to channel his income show he made a fortune in the first year of his new found fame. His firm Xena Tara had total assets of £433,328 in the 12 months up to March 31 this year.
After paying off creditors, including a £125,000 corporation tax bill, Evans was left with shareholder funds of £305,241. His second company Simmons Hunter had assets worth £285,060. The business has been valued at £153,604 after payment of tax and other creditors.
Evans is the sole director of both the London-based firms, which were set up just days after he signed his record deal in January last year.
He released a single version of The Wellerman and a dance remix of the track by the UK producers 220 Kid and Billen Ted, which shot to No 1 in the charts.
In an interview last year, he told how he would have been happy to be a postman for life, if the song had not gone viral and made him an overnight success.
He said: "I loved getting out in the fresh air and finishing at a reasonable time. I'd go in around half eight and would be home for 3pm. I always had my headphones on, thinking of new songs I could cover.
"If I came up with a melody the night before I'd listen to it during the day. I was always singing, whistling, humming or making a noise. I would try to keep it on the down-low, though if someone was coming I'd try to be quiet.
"If it wasn't for this blowing up then I could see myself working as a postman for the rest of my life."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
