Ōtautahi’s Lukas Mayo, aka Pickle Darling, has turned their lo-fi music into a video game.
Made with visual artist Christiane Shortal (known for her work with Tiny Ruins and Mousey), Pickle Darling: The Game lets players search for a lost album in a retro, DIY-style world.
The game features 8-bit renditions of Pickle Darling tracks, including “Bicycle Weather”, “King of Joy”, and “Invercargill Angel”. These tracks, created specifically for the game, will also be shared on TikTok and Instagram, giving fans a chance to soundtrack their own digital creations.
Mayo explains, “This game is a little peek behind the curtain of what goes into (and what can hinder) a Pickle Darling album release.”
The game is out now on itch.io, just in time for NZ Music Month/Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa.
Mayo’s last release, Laundromat (2023) released via renowned US label Father/Daughter Records, marked a breakthrough beyond the bedroom after years of sharing excellent gems on Bandcamp. The thoughtful album earned praise for its vulnerable lo-fi pop and attention to detail.
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“Following in the grand tradition of Aotearoa bands like Tall Dwarfs, Mayo creates vulnerable lo-fi pop vignettes rich in small details,” our five-star review of the album read. “Mayo has an Akerman-esque feel for quotidian beauty: art, they know, is everywhere in life, and their earnest existentialism flows right through Laundromat.”
Listeners also heard Mayo team up with The Beths for a surprise cover of The Postal Service’s “Brand New Colony” celebrating the 20th anniversary of Give Up. The charming rendition combined Liz Stokes’ radiant vocals with Mayo’s signature finger-picking and sunny bedroom pop.
You can watch Pickle Darling’s full ‘In My Room’ session here, which includes renditions of “In Good Health”, the title track, and “Invercargill Angel” from Laundromat. The session reduced their sound to the raw essentials – just Mayo’s soft vocals, backing beats, and acoustic guitar.
