Listening to the cultural troupe Allan Family, “probably made it easy” for Joe Mettle to join Gospel band Soul Winners in 2008.

He recalled hearing Allan Family playing their music behind his home when he was much younger, while guesting on Class 91.3 FM’s Class Drive.

The singer-songwriter told his host Mr Lion, in his mind, at the time, “there was no demarcation” of sacred and secular.

He remembered going to a few churches and enjoying their music also; Faith Evangelical, being one.

Soon, he identified making music was his divine task, the Reverb Studios founder and CEO said.

“When I came to the full realisation and understanding of why I’m drawn to it [music], I started learning, practising, serving, and today, we’re here,” he added.

During his leisure, Mettle said he enjoyed “mainly Gospel” even though “once in a while,” he listens to Jazz music.

The Bo Nor Ni hitmaker said “on a good day,” he can create “two or three songs”.

Recognising God has given him some of the best musicians to work with, he said he often has to exercise a bit of control in their creative process by reminding his team of the limited singing abilities of the congregation who are his priority. He added it is typical of him to offer suggestions for melodies with his mouth while they create.

He said Hide Me featuring Jonathan Nelson was one of the most complicated songs to work with his team on. Their reception, when he first taught the song, was one of confusion, he recalled.

Joe Mettle was with Soul Winners for six years, joining in 2008. His exit came when he enrolled at Pentecost University and after, sought a solo career which has borne much fruit, evidenced by: multiple awards, including being the legendary first Gospel singer to win the Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year in 2017; and starting his own record label Reverb, mentoring stars like Luigi Maclean and Enuonyam, among other things.

Much like Allan Family, Soul Winners performed mostly with traditional instruments in the cheer fashion of the Ga people known as jama, the ultimate difference being Soul Winners was only concerned with Christian themes. 

Wala Bolo (2009) is one of Soul Winner's biggest hits while Joe Mettle led the group.