Naomi Ludlow (born 1994), known professionally as Ny Oh, is a New Zealand folk singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. She is the lead singer of the band Neon Gru and has toured with Harry Styles as a multi-instrumentalist for his Love On Tour.
Ny Oh was born in the United Kingdom in 1994.[1][2] However, she moved to New Zealand when she was three[3] and grew up in Tauranga.[2][4] Her mother is a flautist[5] and a music teacher.[6] When she was four years old, Ny Oh began playing piano.[7] As a teenager, she took vocal lessons and played the violin.[4] She learned the viola and guitar at Bethlehem College.[7] Growing up, she was a fan of New Zealand musicians such as OMC, Crowded House, and Bic Runga[8] as well as international acts like John Mayer, Pink Floyd, and Bruce Springsteen.[1]
When she was 18, she relocated to London to attend the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance for vocal performance.[1][2] She made a living working for a vegan café and busking.[1] She spent much of her early twenties backpacking and hitchhiking[5] and spent time living on an illegally moored boat with other musicians near Camden Town.[9]
In 2014, Ny Oh featured on the tracks "Younger Now" and "We Will Be Love" on Roaman's album Younger Now.[10] She collaborated with Roaman again in 2016 on the track "Free at Last" for his album Free at Last.[11] Ny Oh toured with Jonathan Wilson in 2018[3][5] and was part of Jesse Sheehan's band[2] as well as part of a songwriting collective called The Lyrical Nomads.[4] Also in 2018, Ny Oh released her first single, "Georgia,"[12] and her first EP, Without.[4]
Ny Oh, along with five other musicians, formed the band Neon Gru in 2018.[13] In 2019, they released their first single, "Growing Pains."[14] Ny Oh assisted with promotion of Harry Styles' album, Fine Line, as an anticipated new member of his touring band.[15] Later in 2020, Neon Gru released two additional singles, "Moonlight" and "Hot Wine."[13] In 2021, Ny Oh toured with Harry Styles during his Love on Tour.[16][17]
In 2022, Ny Oh was a featured artist on the track TAURUS on Pauli Lovejoy's OFFAIR: The Power of your Subconscious Mind Vol 1: SPACE.[18]Garden of Eden, Ny Oh's second EP, also released in 2022.[3] Neon Gru released two additional singles in 2022: a cover of Phoebe Bridgers' song "Motion Sickness"[19] and an original song called "Elon"[20] Ny Oh continued to tour with Harry Styles in 2022[21] and 2023.[3] She opened for Styles on March 7, 2023, for his show in Auckland, New Zealand.[3][7]
Neon Gru's music has been described "eclectic and imaginative" by IndieGems[22] and "stunningly beautiful" by A&R Factory.[23] Ramona Magazine described Ny Oh's songwriting as "the love child of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez."[24] 1883 Magazine described her single "You Are" as "a slow-burning gem full of enthralling vocals, tender lyricism, crisp piano, and nuances."[25]
