Hunter Metts brings Tennessee soul to Soho with a mesmerising set at The Lower Third
- Dave Broome
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Lower Third, London - 7th October 2025
IMAGES DAVE BROOME / WORDS DAVE BROOME
Hunter Metts is an artist, songwriter and producer from Franklin, Tennessee.
Growing up in a musical family, Hunter began playing the piano at age ten and
eventually started playing guitar and writing his own songs. He has brought his
soulful vocals and honest and heartfelt songs to The Lower Third in London’s Soho
district. Now based in Nashville, he is a long way from home, and I reflect on how he
must feel and wonder if his music will resonate with a metropolitan audience.
Before we get ahead of ourselves though we have a support act to enjoy in the form
of Scarlett Loran. A singer-songwriter from Bath, now based in London. She is
joined by a guitarist and keyboard player. At first Scarlett plays along with an
acoustic guitar but by the third song, she puts that to one side and just sings. I say
“just”, her voice is stunning. She effortlessly goes from using her lower register to
falsetto. “Moonshine” is the standout track of the set for me – it’s an extremely pretty
song. She closes with a track about the challenges of her move from Bath to
London, it’s called “Growing Pains”. She asks the now full room to follow her on
Instagram, and I don’t doubt a fair few will.
Hunter arrives on stage shortly before 9pm and I must admit he doesn’t look nervous
or uncomfortable. He’s right at home in front of a partisan crowd who look keen as
mustard to see and hear what he has to offer. This show has long since been sold
out, an indication of the appetite there is here in the UK for the brand of mellow and
melodic soul-baring stripped back indie-folk music that Hunter Metts brings.
This was pitched to me as an E.P. release show so if I’m honest, I’m not sure what to
expect. He opens with “Paper Moon”, a track from 2023, so starts on familiar ground
and follows it up with “Don’t Fail Me Now”, a track off the 2024 album, Monochrome.
There’s certainly an influence from the likes of Bon Iver and vocally there are
similarities to Jonsi of Sigur Ros. That ethereal almost ghostly nature to his music is
enchanting and draws you in. I look around and much of the crowd are mesmerised
by both Hunter and his voice. “Centre of the Universe” is one of the new tracks but
that doesn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. They already seem to know the words
and are singing along as if it’s a timeless classic. The enthusiastic welcome isn’t lost
on Metts and he frequently thanks the crowd.
This is my first time at The Lower Third venue. I’ve spent hours of my life on
Denmark Street, trapsing up and down the various guitar shops but never seen a gig
here. Denmark Street is steeped in history, apart from the music shops, it’s where
the Sex Pistols rehearsed and wrote much of Never Mind the Bollocks. I drift off into
dreamland and wonder if tonight’s gig will be added to the folklore of this area and I
will be able to say “I was there” at that early Hunter Metts gig.
“Heavy, Heavy Love” has a false start but by this point the crowd are so on side they
even cheer that. Each track is more inviting than the last, songs such as “Blue Ridge
Run” are personal and insightful. He closes with one final thank you, “You could
have been anywhere this evening”, he says “but you were here .. and that means a
lot”. It’s a statement that says much about Hunter Metts and his music, tender,
heartfelt and emotional.
SET LIST
1. Paper Moon
2. Don’t Fail Me Now
3. Monochrome
4. Till the End
5. Telescope Lovers
6. Across the Great Divide
7. Centre of the Universe
8. Space You Left
9. The River
10. Heavy Heavy Love
11. Blue Ridge Run
12. Open
13. Weathervane
FOLLOW HUNTER METTS
Comments