Bedroom pop artist Pickle Darling embarks on first nationwide tour

July 17, 2021

Ōtautahi-based artist Lukas Mayo chatted to 1 NEWS ahead of their first Auckland show.

Pickle Darling, the musical alter-ego of Lukas Mayo, has just released their second album and is finally going on tour after cancelling shows planned for last year.

Pickle Darling's albums aren't recorded in a traditional manner. Mayo plays every instrument on the album, layering in elements constantly, sometimes over the course of a year.

"It's mostly a lot of taking random notes, if I see something interesting or think of something interesting and working on the music independently of the lyrics and slowly just piecing stuff together on my computer," they said.

When tasked with translating Pickle Darling's lo-fi sound onto the stage, Mayo was forced to put together a band.

Pickle Darling played their first Auckland show at Flying Out Record Store.

"This version of the live band was put together when The Beths asked us to go on tour. I initially was like 'nah, I don't think it's doable', but then Serena [keyboard/glockenspiel] was like you should do it, and I'll join the band and make it happen," Mayo recalled.

Due to the limitations of performing live, certain songs have to be rearranged, often taking away elements present on the album version.

"It's good problem solving, because I don't make the records with the live show in mind. It's a lot of problem solving what we can split across three people and still get the song across," they said.

"The live show is just the three of us looking very stressed."

The influences on the latest album, Cosmonaut, are more from the world of film than music, specifically works of science fiction.

"When I started making the album I was starting a long-distance relationship. A lot of science fiction and space imagery kind of lends itself to ideas of long distance and communication."

When asked how they would advertise their concerts, all the ever-humble Mayo could boast was "we're not a loud band ... so come have a nice time?" before flashing an uncertain thumbs up.

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