Heidi Pollyea, a singer/songwriter originally from the Midwest but residing in Atlanta, GA, performs on guitar, keyboards and even a lil bit of banjo. Heidi takes her varied musical styles and combines them with lyrics that range from poignant and personal, to frank and funny. Reared in pop, trained in jazz and exposed to latin and gospel music, Heidi has blended all with a generous dose of bluesy Southern acoustic sprinkled on top to create her particular brand of “funky folk”. She has been featured at many local, regional and even international venues and festivals. Heidi is comfortable performing as a solo but is connected with many other great musicians and can therefore provide a duo, trio or full band (s an ensemble Heidi includes some of Atlanta’s finest musicians who are most commonly billed as Heidi, Jo & Mo’!). No matter the format, Heidi always finds a way to involve, engage and excite her audience. Heidi is also a respected and degreed private music instructor who loves mentoring her piano, voice and guitar students, many of who have become noted performers in their own right. In addition to her love for music, Heidi is also a dedicated animal advocate with some of her musical proceeds going to help furry friends everywhere.
Heidi’s music creates an intimacy with her audience. She can move you with her powerful vocals, or bring a smile to your face with her witty lyrics. One always leaves a show feeling that one has been invited into Heidi’s living room, and has become a close friend. – Steve Grossman, Steve’s Live Music
Really nice time with Heidi Pollyea and her music partner Jedd Dotson last evening. It was a good crowd and a set of intriguing, entertaining music. Heidi always delivers something new. Hers is a “technically cover all bases” musicianship—no slacking here people. A journeyperson, and that’s not a compliment given often from this source. Heidi and Jedd’s (by no means a slouch guitarist, really nice licks) mix was thoughtful, together, melodic and yes…”a sort of subdued, and somehow friendly cool.” And I mean cool in the sense of “bein’ cool” and that is about a hard a thing to do on stage as there is in these cynical times, at least for me. Some people have taken their licks and still come off like a poser. With Heidi, you see the real person, no apologies. Finally, however, (and as gypsy wild as Heidi is) what comes out is her big big heart. Get an album for your collection. – Rob Lanford, 5@5 Concert Series
Sassy, Soulful and Sensuous, Heidi Pollyea’s soulful lyricism and emotional expressiveness are under-girded by tensile precision and technique. Whether she is belting the blues or toying with a blithe and mellow folk-pop number, she never misses a beat. She brings coruscating truthfulness to her songwriting, leavened with playful humor — “Touch it,” in particular, is a masterpiece of mischief. – Candice Dyer, Featured Writer/Music Critic for Atlanta Magazine, and Author of Street Singers, Soul Shakers, and Rebels with a Cause: Music from Macon