Ōtautahi’s Lukas Mayo, aka Pickle Darling, has shared new music.
The Christchurch-based songwriter’s latest single, “Massive Everything”, is their first original track since a Postal Service cover with The Beths in 2023.
Built on bright synths and drum machines, it’s Mayo’s familiar off-kilter indie-pop, just a little bigger.
“Maybe the first kind of ‘pop’ song I’ve ever made,” they say. “And I think the most lyrically direct too, there’s no poetry or cleverness to it, I felt strongly about clear communication this time. I love Robyn, Ray of Light-era Madonna, Cher, Donna Lewis, I love those kinds of ‘empathetic’ pop songs that feel like a hug from a friend.”
They add, “Everyone has their own invisible pains that are unexplainable, and this is a love song that tries to include as much of that as possible.”
The single arrives alongside a dreamy visualiser by local visual artist Christiane Shortal, which you can watch above.
“Massive Everything” follows Mayo’s launch last month of a lo-fi video game built around their music, timed for NZ Music Month.
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Made with 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 described the game as “a little peek behind the curtain of what goes into (and what can hinder) a Pickle Darling album release.”
Pickle Darling’s “Massive Everything” is out now via Father/Daughter Records.
