Following the release of their fourth album, Ōtautahi’s own Pickle Darling reemerges with crumple zones, a companion EP that reimagines and expands the sonic world of Bots. Following a track record of acclaim — from 2023’s Laundromat, featured in Rolling Stone AU/NZ’s “80 Best New Zealand Albums of the Decade So Far,” to 2025’s praised Bots — the EP affirms Lukas Mayo’s reputation as one of Aotearoa’s most inventive indie-pop voices. While Bots was meticulously assembled, this new collection embraces a more immediate, live-inspired energy, offering alternate takes, acoustic reinterpretations, and a collaboration with Father/Daughter labelmate, Anna McClellan.
The EP’s focus track, ‘massive everything (alternate version)’ explores the ways we protect ourselves utilizing our emotional crumple zones. “The original version of the song is much more synthetic, but I recently discovered Nashville guitar tuning and was playing everything with that tuning. I wanted a lush, guitar filled version of this song to exist in the world too” shares Mayo. Delicate finger picking carries ‘human bean (alternate version),’ a cute, stripped-down rendition of the original. ‘pinwheels (featuring Anna McClellan)’ is a long-awaited collaboration brought to life in a delightfully messy, acoustic-first approach. Anna’s vocals were recorded casually on a phone, background sounds intact, evoking a sense of immediacy and nostalgia, the kind of small, carb-filled comforts that define personal memory.
The EP also plays with the visual side of music-making: artwork inspired by layered woodcut prints explores alternative colors and textures, mirroring the experimental spirit of the songs themselves. Pickle Darling approaches this project as a weekend workshop rather than a full-length album’s labor, letting the process be playful, expansive, and free from pressure.
Pickle Darling ‘massive everything (alternate version)’ [Official Visualizer]
Pickle Darling ‘pinwheels (feat. Anna McClellan)’ [Official Audio]
Pickle Darling ‘human bean (alternate version)’ [Official Visualizer]
Praise for Pickle Darling:
“Built on bright synths and drum machines, it’s Mayo’s familiar off-kilter indie-pop, just a little bigger.” – Rolling Stone AU/NZ
“Pickle Darling summons an intimate, lo-tech kind of pop grandeur” – Under The Radar
“Something about Lukas is that they know how to make something with simple ingredients… but it will just be so understately ornate” – RNZ
“loopy, lovely, and loaded with feeling. If you’re after music that lets you escape while still hitting home, Pickle Darling has built your next emotional safe zone.” – Happy Mag
Pickle Darling
Crumple Zones EP
Out now via Father/Daughter Records
ORDER | LISTEN
human bean instruction manual (alternate version)
pinwheels (feat. Anna McClellan)
Massive everything (alternate version)
About Pickle Darling:
Pickle Darling (Lukas Mayo) is a well-known indie pop artist from Christchurch, known for blending heartfelt lyricism with whimsical melodies and dreamy lo-fi production. Celebrated for their introspective and deeply personal songwriting, Pickle Darling has become a beloved staple in Aotearoa’s indie music scene.
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