Billy Allen and The Pollies is a star-crossed collaboration

Billy Allen and The Pollies are two artists who are meant to be together. The supergroup (can I call them that?) brought it all to the PRX stage at NON-COMM 2024.

Opening strong with “All of Me,” it’s clear that Billy Allen and The Pollies are made for a live audience. Allen’s presence is unmatched as he belts, spins and points to his audience. The people paid for a show, and Allen knows it. “Ridin’ Wit Chu” brings on the funk, with outstanding vocals from both The Pollies and Allen and a beat that just won’t quit.

“Let’s groove a little bit!” Allen said to the crowd. “Dance with me now. We came all the way from North Alabama just to party with you tonight!”

The Pollies are a Southern music group formed in the early 2010’s. With original members Jay Burgess on guitar and Jon Davis on drums, they later brought on bassist Spencer Duncan and Clint Chandler on keys. Both The Pollies and Billy Allen ended up working at the legendary FAME Studios in 2019. Though Allen was a cover artist at the time, Burgess encouraged him to write songs together over the pandemic, eventually working together in 2021. The rest is history.

For “Lady Luck,” featured in a WFUV studio session via NPR Music’s Live Sessions, The Pollies start off doing their own thing, with Allen showing support heel-toeing and jumping in for the first verse. The Pollies are fully into it, grooving along with the crowd. The energy is palpable – it’s clear that they’re at their best live.

Billy Allen and The Pollies brought it home with their latest single, “I Thought You Wanted Him”. Released in February, it’s part of their upcoming collaborative LP, Black Noise. It’s clear that both The Pollies and Billy Allen are strong artists on their own, but their collaboration is a match made in FAME.