Ahead of Dornoch Music & Beer Festival, The Wellermen discuss Northern Sky, new music and the joy of bringing people together through song.
With a sound that blends sea shanties, folk traditions and soaring vocal harmonies, The Wellermen have grown far beyond the viral moment that first brought them together. Built around storytelling and a love of singing together, the five-piece have developed into one of the most distinctive live acts around, with their recent album Northern Sky marking another step forward through original material alongside the traditional songs that fans have embraced.
Ahead of their return to the Highlands for Dornoch Music & Beer Festival, we caught up with the band. With each member bringing their own influences and personality to the group, it seemed only right to let different voices answer the questions.
Dornoch feels like the sort of festival The Wellermen were made for. What made you want to head up to the Highlands for a second time this summer?
JONNY: We’ve wanted to do more Scotland shows for a while, and Dornoch felt like a great fit for us! Storytelling is at the heart of our music, which blends in well with the rest of the folk and country-influenced lineup, and the festival seems like a welcoming community we’re all excited to enjoy.
Your shows feel more like a room full of people singing together than a standard gig. Was that always the heart of what you wanted the band to be?
LUKE: We could not be more grateful for the wonderful audience we’ve been blessed with. I personally am not a very big fan of performing, so having our shows feel less like a performance and more like a living room session definitely helps me out! Seeing a room full of people we have never met before sing along to our music is an extremely humbling experience. None of us could have imagined the love that we would receive from our audience, and we definitely did not expect to be able to affect people’s lives through music. In my eyes we act less like a band and more like a brotherhood, five dear friends getting to celebrate the gift of music with people around the world.
Northern Sky felt like a big step forward for the band. Did writing more original material change your confidence as songwriters?
SEB: We’ve all been writing quite a bit independently, but it was certainly one of the first times that things came together as a group. Playing original songs live with the boys feels so rewarding, sharing a piece of ourselves. There’s a lot of new music on the way that we are all incredibly excited about. Stay tuned.
Even with the humour and big singalongs, there’s a real warmth and heart to what you do. Was it important early on that the band never felt like a gimmick?
JONNY: Absolutely! It’s natural that people initially came onboard with a viral internet moment, either the original Wellerman TikTok craze, or Bobby and Luke’s Hoist the Colours being used for all those North Sea videos, but thankfully the fans who stick around appreciate that there’s so much more to us than that. It’s on us as a group to keep innovating, keep working on new material, and bring fans along on the voyage!
Between all five of you there are some wildly different influences in the mix. Who usually brings the most unexpected ideas into rehearsals?
SAM: That’s tricky! We all have different areas that we’re particularly passionate about and generate the most ideas for: Luke’s use of language when songwriting, Seb’s whimsical song concepts, Jonny’s keen ear for music theory and harmony choices, Bobby’s understanding of the world of bass and sub harmonics, and my live performance experience. Four years ago it could have been any one of us, but I think at this point we’ve come to expect the unexpected from each other! But maybe I’ll throw in a curve ball at the next rehearsal and suggest we cover Iron Maiden…
“Wild Mountain Thyme” seems to hit people differently live. Is there one song in the set where you still stop and smile at the crowd reaction?
BOBBY: Honestly I would say Wild Mountain Thyme because that’s the only one that we do off mic for most shows and step forward to get closer to the crowd. We encourage the crowd to sing along with us and it’s such a great raw sound that fills up the whole room, it’s hard not to get emotional during moments like that. I feel that’s a special moment for a lot of people who come to our concerts, to get a chance to sing with us.
Things have moved pretty quickly for The Wellermen over the last few years. What still excites you most about the band right now?
SAM: Things have been moving quickly since the group began, it’s all we really know, which definitely makes everything more exciting! I remember recording my vocals for The Wellerman back in 2021 and the song being released almost the next day, which is almost unheard of! We’ve also got some exciting new original music on its way, which I cannot wait to be able to share.
Whether it’s the huge harmonies, the shared stories or simply the chance to join in with a room full of voices, The Wellermen have built something far bigger than the viral moment that first introduced them to the world. With more original music on the horizon and a visit to Dornoch ahead, festivalgoers can expect plenty of warmth, laughter and, no doubt, a few moments where everyone ends up singing together.
The Wellermen appear at Dornoch Music & Beer Festival on 18 and 19 July. Tickets are available via Eventbrite, with further information through the official Dornoch Music & Beer Festival website.
