Vermont born and raised, but New Orleans inspired, Hans Williams is the newest member of the indie-soul genre and he’s climbing the ranks fast. Williams — who averages just over a million monthly listeners on Spotify — is the most recent addition to my list of “Hidden Gems” and I have a good feeling those into the likes of Noah Kahan and John Vincent III will really enjoy Williams’ music.
His rasp and style reminds me a lot of Noah Kahan, but the edginess of his guitar and occasional raise in his voice sets him apart from his Northeast predecessor. Growing up in two very different areas with nearly opposite cultures has served Williams well. Tracing back to his first creations, 2018’s “Footsteps” and “Guardian,” the Vermont ties run incredibly deep. These tracks are overflowing with a small town attitude and “prance through the Vermont forest” vibes.
It’s not until the 2020s that we see Williams develop a career-defining rasp and refined sound that has been paying the bills of late. Songs like “Skin” and “Georgia Walks” model Williams’ newer sound, and reflect how the deep south is rubbing off on him.
“Skin” is easily Williams’ top song, and captures this happy medium between the two places that have shaped the 21-year-old. It starts out with a gentle strum of his guitar; Williams ever so slightly singing over the strums. The track progresses into a more commanding musical rendition, and Williams’ voice responds accordingly as he ramps up the rasp and fervor.
When playing songs like “Skin” and “Georgia Walks,” I’ve had friends assume it was an underground Noah Kahan track — further illustrating Williams’ potential. The ceiling is so high for Williams, and I feel confident that he’s just a few more catchy songs away from taking off.
Williams flashed signs of his full capabilities on his 2024 EP, “More Than One Way Home.” The 5-song EP was released nearly a year ago, and got the ball rolling for the young artist but wasn’t enough to completely unearth the rookie singer.
Besides “Skin,” Williams’ EP featured tracks like “Greywater” and “The Trek” that paid homage to his Vermont roots and small town beginnings. He reflects on how far he’s come on “Greywater,” but how he doesn’t want that to cause him to change as he builds a life in the south.
“The Trek” tells a somber story of a love Williams seems to have missed out on. You have to wonder as he sings of home throughout the EP, if this later song in the project is looking back on a past lover he still thinks about from thousands of miles away. “The Trek” is such a masterpiece by how Williams manages to sync the lyrics and musical rendition, and as his longing and agony intensify, so do the violent strums of his guitar. The strings threaten to snap, both to his heart and his guitar.
It’s a shame Williams only has a handful of songs to his name. At such a young age I find his lyricism, rasp and use of the guitar in each song to be so impressive. If he’s doing this at 21, you can only imagine what he’ll do in the future as he earns his stripes. He’s likely starting to surround himself with seasoned performers, musicians and songwriters that are going to turn a good artist into a great one.
Despite all he’s done over the course of the 2020s, I think 2025 is a crucial season in Williams’ early career. There’s no better time than right now to build off a year-old EP and release a full album. With a voice this good and the control he has on the guitar, it’s somewhat of a mystery how Williams falls into the “Hidden Gems” category but he still hasn’t reached many ears.
If you find yourself in Central California toward the end of the school year, Williams will be performing two shows in Napa, CA, to round out the month of May. Otherwise, we’ll all have to cross our fingers and hope that one of the freshest voices in indie comes through with an album.
Tony Le Calvez 
Grace Chaves