Ryan Podlubny has been evoking emotional and physical landscapes as Next Stop Otago! since 2016. This Edmonton-based art-rock collective (originally from Christchurch, New Zealand) is rooted in storytelling and lush, cinematic arrangements – exploring both personal vulnerability and wider political issues through an emotionally captivating sound that will make your heart ache, even while you’re humming the hooks days afterward.
Podlubny’s honest approach to vocals has been compared to Tom Petty and is forever complemented by the voices of the horn section singing their wordless, expressive backups. With as many as eight people on stage at any given time, Next Stop Otago!’s sound is often orchestral and expansive with the anthemic choruses of a three-guitar combo joined by synths and organs; soaring brass; and the driving rhythms of Motown. But while their number opens up a range of variety and textures, performances leave plenty of space for quiet, intimate moments that touch the heart.
Together, NSO!’s signature sound blends indie-rock, folk-country, and 90s saxophone dreamsounds into a sonically expansive, transformative experience.