Pickle Darling has shared a third single from their forthcoming album, Laundromat.
Titled “Invercargill Angel”,the gently humming lo-fi pop track taps into Pickle Darling’s penchant for repetition, being filled with endearingly incessant blips and beeps, as well as soothing mantras. “I hope he makes you feel at home,” the DIY artist – real name Lukas Mayo – murmurs soothingly again and again.
As Mayo reveals, “Invercargill Angel” was probably the quickest track on their new album to write but, like most Pickle Darling creations, the tender simplicity is what provides the charm.
“This was one of the last songs I wrote for the album,” they explain. “I came up with the kind of repeating mantra bit on a long drive and just sang it in my head for an hour so I wouldn’t forget it.
The accompanying music video, meanwhile, needs to be seen to be believed. Directed by Aimee Cooki Martin, what starts out as an amiable car trip with friends to get burgers turns into a strange encounter with a celestial being by the side of the road; it’s really a tale as old as time.
“Me and my friends got some burgers and went to hang out on the beach to celebrate the album being finished, and I have no memory of what went down but luckily my friends captured it all on film…” Mayo says furtively.
You can watch the resolutely lo-fi clip – almost resembling a found footage film like Cloverfield – above, and decide if “this really happened,” as words at the beginning of the music video claim.
“Invercargill Angel” will feature on Pickle Darling’s new album Laundromat, which is set for release on June 16th. It will be the Ōtautahi multi-instrumentalist’s first release since signing to the esteemed US label, Father/Daughter Records, earlier this year.
Mayo also just returned from showcasing their work as Pickle Darling at the prestigious SXSW festival, highlighting the strength of Aoteroa’s current music scene alongside the likes of Hans Pucket and Georgia Lines (check out Lines’ detailed tour diary from the festival).
Pickle Darling’s “Invercargill Angel” is out now. Laundromat is out June 16th via Father/Daughter Records (pre-save/pre-order here).
