Rising Stars from Scotland

Nathan Evans — Already Halfway There

Nathan Evans may have become famous through a sea shanty, but five years on from Wellerman, the more interesting question is whether he can turn that viral breakthrough into something much bigger and more durable. Increasingly, the answer looks like yes.

His partnership with Saint PHNX has given Evans a sound and live show capable of travelling far beyond the Scottish folk circuit. Their collaborative album Angels' Share arrived in late 2025, followed by touring across the UK, Europe, North America and Australia. An Australian run is still ahead in October, while appearances at major festivals including Isle of Wight and Latitude place them in front of audiences who may have little connection to Scotland's traditional music scene.

The important change is that Evans is no longer selling nostalgia for one enormous hit. The current material combines Scottish identity, pop songwriting and the festival-ready scale Saint PHNX bring to the partnership.

There is plenty of ambition at home too. Heather on the Hill, their own festival at Edinburgh's Royal Highland Centre on 22 August, is another significant step: not simply appearing on a bill, but building one.

Perhaps "breaking out of Scotland" is already the wrong question. Nathan Evans has an international audience. The next challenge is proving that the artist can ultimately become bigger than the song that introduced him.

Cammy Barnes — Is This the Moment?

Cammy Barnes feels like he is everywhere in Scotland right now. That is not much of an exaggeration.

Festival appearances have become increasingly prominent, he performed as part of the 2026 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony, and this autumn brings headline dates across Scotland. Several of those dates were already showing limited availability by August. More importantly, Barnes increasingly looks comfortable on stages of that scale.

He makes it easy to enjoy what he does: big, direct songs, an immediately recognisable Scottish voice and a genuine enthusiasm onstage that never feels manufactured. At Belladrum that became particularly obvious when he was called back to perform a second set after James withdrew through illness. Young fans knew the songs; older festival-goers quickly bought into him. That broad appeal matters.

The Scottish music scene can provide an artist with an exceptionally loyal audience, but the next step requires translating that momentum into England and then further afield. Barnes has already demonstrated that he can command increasingly large rooms at home. The question is whether those same songs connect in Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham or London when the crowd hasn't arrived already knowing who he is. On current trajectory, it feels less like if Cammy Barnes gets that opportunity and more like what happens when he does.

Nathan Evans has already opened the door internationally. Cammy Barnes might be about to walk through his own.