The Wellermen step into a new chapter with Marry Her Today, an original single that puts their own songwriting and personal experiences firmly at the heart of their evolving sound. The new track arrives ahead of the Transatlantic folk group’s headline show at London’s Union Chapel on 29th October.
The Wellermen
Known for their rich vocal harmonies, traditional folk influences and energetic live performances, The Wellermen have built an international following by bringing centuries-old songs into the modern era. Marry Her Today takes that foundation and pushes it somewhere more personal, combining their trademark five-way harmonies with a contemporary folk arrangement full of Celtic romanticism, rhythmic energy and foot-stomping momentum.
The result is a song that feels rooted in a familiar folk tradition while being entirely new, marking an important step for a group whose career began with their interpretations of traditional material.
The song was written collectively during a songwriting retreat in Ohio and explores the exhilaration of falling in love for the first time. Rather than approaching romance with caution or cynicism, Marry Her Today embraces youthful enthusiasm and the idea of committing wholeheartedly to another person.
Jonny Stewart explains that the song draws from the band members’ own experiences of love, as well as the relationships they have witnessed among their friends. Its meaning became even more personal when fellow bandmates Sam Pope and Laura married in August 2026, an event that also brought the group closer together away from the stage.
Produced by regular collaborator Cian Synnott, whose previous work includes Amble, Gavin James and Sinéad O’Connor, the single allows the band’s vocal arrangements to remain central while giving them room to explore a more contemporary folk sound.
It is a natural progression for The Wellermen, whose story is itself built around an unlikely combination of tradition, technology and international collaboration.
The group first became a global phenomenon during the sea shanty explosion on TikTok in 2021, appearing alongside their old friend Nathan Evans. What began as a social-media moment quickly developed into something far more substantial. American members Luke Taylor and Bobby Waters and British duo Jonny Stewart and Sam Pope had not even met in person before playing their first show together, having built the foundations of the group remotely.
The final piece of the lineup arrived in 2025, when long-term collaborator Seb Payne became a full-time member. All five are not only vocalists but instrumentalists, allowing the group to bring a greater musical depth to their arrangements and live performances.
Their journey since those early viral videos has taken them around the UK, Europe and North America, transforming an online collaboration into a full-time touring career. Their self-titled debut album was recorded remotely before the group had properly met, yet its success ultimately led to the members building a life and career together.
Among their biggest songs is Hoist The Colours, which has surpassed 75 million streams, while the group as a whole has now amassed more than 270 million streams and 170 million YouTube views.
Their live achievements have been equally expansive, including performances at Murrayfield Stadium during the Scotland v England Six Nations fixture and major appearances at the BRIT Awards, the BBC Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
While traditional folk songs remain central to their identity, The Wellermen have increasingly begun incorporating original material into their repertoire. Their second album, Northern Sky, released in 2025, introduced a selection of their own songs alongside traditional favourites and was subsequently followed by an a cappella version.
Their 1778 EP, released earlier this year, returned to classic folk material and historical themes. With Marry Her Today, however, the emphasis shifts decisively towards the band’s own stories.
That change does not mean abandoning the traditions that brought The Wellermen to a global audience. Instead, the single demonstrates how those traditions can provide a framework for contemporary songwriting, with the group’s distinctive harmonies connecting an old-world folk sensibility to a younger, modern audience.
The band are currently completing a North American tour, which concludes at the Spokane Renaissance Faire on 2nd October. They then return to the UK for their London headline appearance, before heading back onto the festival circuit with a confirmed appearance at Manchester Folk Festival in March 2027.
For a group whose entire career has been shaped by unexpected connections, long-distance collaboration and the ability to turn traditional music into something immediate and communal, Marry Her Today represents another significant step forward — this time with The Wellermen telling their own story.
Upcming UK Live Dates:
OCTOBER
29th – London, Union Chapel
MARCH 2027
19th-21st – Manchester Folk Festival
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