A Raw, Alt-Country Confession On Ambition, Burnout & The Long Road Home
By: Robert Solomon
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Some songs land like a gut punch. Others linger — not as hooks or choruses, but as ghosts. “Big in the City,” the latest release from Canadian alt-country artist Pony Gold, manages to be both. Out today via Neon Moon Records, the track marks the first single from her forthcoming debut LP — a body of work that introduces her as one of Canada’s most compelling new voices. Unfiltered and slow-burning, “Big In The City” blends folk roots with soul-steeped vulnerability and Americana grit, unfolding like a late-night confession you weren’t sure you’d ever say out loud.
There’s an intensity in how Pony Gold — real name Theresa Bromley — tells this “Big in the City” story. It isn’t really about “making it big” like the way many would think, rather it’s about what happens when you’re not sure you ever will. The song explores the disillusionment that follows ambition: the unpaid gigs, the long drives, the creeping doubt, and the comfort of returning to a life you once ran from. Set against worn-in acoustic strums and resonant slide guitar, the arrangement feels as honest as the subject matter. Pony Gold’s vocals ache with control — never forced, always felt. Longtime collaborator and husband Matt Bromley adds nuanced guitar work that tethers the track to its weathered Americana foundation.
“I grew up in northern BC, one of those small rural towns where you spend your days dreaming about somewhere else,” says Pony Gold. “I left home young to try and build a music career — terrified of the city but more afraid of wasting a gift. I threw myself into the hustle, playing every show I could, trying to build something from the ground up. But over time, doubt crept in. You start to realize that ‘making it big’ is a myth. And you think about quitting and going home — not because it’s easier, but because it’s familiar. There’s a strange comfort in the version of yourself who was still just dreaming. This song lives in that space — the ache, the tension, the choice to keep going.”
That no-frills approach has been at the core of Pony Gold’s sound since her 2023 debut EP, Take Me Somewhere, which hit #1 on Canadian college radio’s Roots/Folk/Blues charts and was spotlighted on Indie 88. The record introduced listeners to her signature mix of unvarnished storytelling, folk depth, and alt-country twang. Since then, she’s taken that sound across the country — from Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre to festival stages like Rifflandia, Filberg, and Sunfest — sharing bills with artists like Chaparelle and Elliot Brood. She was a second-ballot nominee for Group of the Year at the BC Country Music Awards and named Band of the Month by The Zone 91.3FM.
Though now based out in Victoria, BC, Bromley grew up in Smithers BC, and her music reflects a lifelong theme of belonging and displacement — caught between places, yet rooted in story. As Pony Gold, she crafts songs for those navigating uncertain paths, embracing the messy, unfiltered beauty of life’s in-betweens. Beyond music, Bromley is a committed advocate for women and gender minorities in the music industry, as well as an active supporter of the sobriety and recovery community. Her ethos is grounded in creating space — for vulnerability, for resilience, and for voices that don’t always get heard.
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