Andy Allo seems like a breath of fresh air. Her striking looks – blown out, curly-haired afro coupled with her radiant smile, would quickly lead one to that conclusion. Hearing her story, and listening to her music confirm that notion. The Cameroon native quietly put out her debut album, UnFresh, in 2009. Contrary to the album title, it absolutely was fresh, and in the time between her debut album and its follow-up project, she crossed paths with the perfect person to help stimulate her development: Prince. Yes, that Prince.
In 2011, Allo joined Prince’s acclaimed New Power Generation band as a guitarist and vocalist. A hell of an opportunity to say the least, and one that Allo appears be making the most of. Working and touring with Prince and NPG over the last year, she’s now preparing the November 20th release of her sophomore solo album, Superconductor. Listening to the first single, “People Pleaser” (which features Maceo Parker and Trombone Shorty) and other album teasers, the progression is clear, delving into R&B, pop, soul, funk and more. Prince’s influence is apparent (he executive produced the album and co-wrote three songs), but Allo’s talent still shines bright. Life+Times talked to Allo aboutSuperconductor, the funk, and working with the legend that is Prince. Read more...