Pickle Darling announces new album Battlebots – out Sept 5

Ōtautahi/Christchurch songwriter Pickle Darling (Lukas Mayo) announces with their most intricate and lovingly chaotic work yet – Battlebots, out September 5 via US indie label Father/Daughter Records. The latest single ‘Violence Voyager’ taken from the album, is built on chiming loops and disarming softness. Its video, directed by Christiane Shortal, stretches that feeling into something dreamlike and surreal. Mayo describes it as “a low poly ode to nature, and the feeling of connecting to something greater. We took our little PS1 mascot and brought them to transcendence.”

Speaking on the video, Mayo says: “It’s a low poly ode to nature, and the feeling of connecting to something greater. We took our little PS1 mascot and brought them to transcendence.”

Lukas Mayo didn’t set out to break their laptop while making Battlebots, but in the end, the machine just couldn’t take it. Files became too heavy, too unwieldy, too layered with chopped-up guitar notes, warped voice memos, and fractured drum loops. Some songs weren’t finished so much as abandoned, because the computer simply refused to open them anymore. That moment felt fitting. An album about breaking apart, about friction and collapse, should probably come with a little destruction of its own.

Pickle Darling has always existed just outside of the periphery. In a heightened time of fast music, algorithmic consumption and rapid virality, Mayo has remained focused on the album. Their discography is a reflection of their creative evolution, and they deliberately look for ways to push sonic boundaries from release to release. Since debuting with Bigness in 2019 followed by Cosmonaut in 2021, Mayo has curated a catalog that is deeply personal and strangely tactile, where tiny, unexpected details—an off-kilter loop, a whispered aside, the warmth of an old Casio—become as crucial as melody itself. Their 2023 LP Laundromat was a precise and polished expansion of that world, a record that felt like it had been carefully placed behind glass. It garnered praise from Mojo, Rolling Stone Australia, The Line of Best Fit, and led to a live performance on the beloved New Zealand children’s TV program, What Now.

That friction of old and new, organic and digital, melody and noise is what drives Battlebots. Mayo drew inspiration from a strange, scattered lineage: Four Tet’s Rounds, The Books, Neneh Cherry’s Broken Politics, The Wrens’ Three types of reading ambiguity, but also the emotional directness of 2000s pop like Madonna’s Ray of Light and Robyn’s Body Talk. The album opens with 'Obsolete,' featuring a voice memo from songwriter Ava Mirzadegan. It takes a full two minutes before Mayo's voice emerges, hesitant but clear. Later, there's 'Massive Everything,' which Mayo describes as the closest they've ever come to writing a pop song. And then there’s Battlebots’ most striking couplet, from 'Congratulations Champion': "You know I’m gonna love you still / Like black mold loves the windowsill." It’s as sweet as a strawberry on the edge of rotting.

The title Battlebots itself is a reference to clashing ideologies—internally and externally, between past and present versions, between the desire to create something and the frustration of the process. It’s a reflection of how our thoughts never settle, how music is never really about one singular thing, how an album can hold a hundred tiny conflicts at once. And in that way, it mirrors life itself. It’s an album built from fragments, from warped sounds and half-memories, stitched together into something that still somehow pulses with life. It’s not just a standalone piece, it’s another chapter in the world Pickle Darling has been quietly building all along.

To mark the release, Pickle Darling will play a series of intimate in-store shows around Aotearoa – just Lukas and a guitar, stripped-back and tender:

• September 5th – Slowboat Records, Wellington – 4.30pm

• September 6th – Flying Out, Auckland – 2.00pm

• September 11th – Penny Lane Records, Christchurch

Pickle Darling - 'Violence Voyager' (Official Video)
Listen / Download: https://pickledarling.lnk.to/violencevoyager

NO CIGAR delights fans with dark and delicious new album, UNDER THE SURFACE

NZ alt-rockers NO CIGAR have today released their third full-length album, UNDER THE SURFACE - a self-described collection of 12 “dark and delicious” songs. 

Listen to UNDER THE SURFACE HERE 

NO CIGAR’s third studio album, UNDER THE SURFACE contains the already released singles ‘Clean’, ‘Chantilly’, ‘Problem’, ‘Best Behaviour’ and ‘Russian Roulette’; as well as seven never heard before tunes, including the moody and eerie title track, ‘Under The Surface’ - the making of which comes with a cracking yarn. 

“The submarine-like guitar gives ‘Under The Surface’ an uneasiness from the get-go. This sense of unease and discomfort is amplified with the megaphone voice sampled from a Police raid outside our Air BnB in Tawa at 2am during a writing session.”

The band further explains that their producer Connor Jaine took upon himself to get the mics rolling, which provides the menacing voice sampled in the song’s intro. “Fortunately the person was not at home and was later found safe, which we learned through local news outlets the next day.” 

The title track offers a taste of NO CIGAR’S rockier side, and as the opening song on the record, it sets the scene for the band’s heaviest album yet. 

“The song itself is indicative of the vibe change this album represents. We wrote and recorded this album on tour for the most part. One misty evening, halfway up a hillside in Tawa, Wellington, we locked in for a night that produced ‘Under The Surface’ as well as others like ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Ketamine’.  

Recorded, produced and mixed by Connor; mastered by Andy Baldwin (except for two tracks, which were mastered by Matt Colton), NO CIGAR’S new body of work follows the monumental success of their first two albums - 2022’s BIENVENIDO and 2023’s THE GREAT ESCAPE - which has established them as one of New Zealand’s most exciting new musical exports. It has also seen NO CIGAR touring consistently across the world, which helped the band to hone the sound and vibe of UNDER THE SURFACE. 

“The more clamorous portion of this body of work leans into that comfortability we feel with being raw and emotive on stage these days. With that being said, we did not neglect to flex our more pensive and soft-handed songwriting muscles, and there are a few numbers in the LP that shine in this regard. It's a journey. This energy has been brewing under the surface for a while. It's time we lift the veil to this new era of NO CIGAR.”

As part of the UNDER THE SURFACE album release, NO CIGAR have also recorded Live In London video sessions, with the first video out today - ‘Maelstrom’. Watch HERE

Videos will be released over coming weeks (every Sunday from August 10), including ‘Ketamine’, ‘Problem’, ‘Clean’, ‘Chantilly’ and ‘Smoulder’ (from THE GREAT ESCAPE).

The release of UNDER THE SURFACE will see NO CIGAR return to the southern hemisphere for their largest headline shows yet, including an 8-date Australian tour and a three-date NZ tour presented by Eccles Entertainment. The NZ tour kicks off in Wellington at Meow Nui on Friday, November 7, before heading south to Christchurch at Ngaio Marsh Theatre on Saturday, November 8 and wrapping up in Auckland at The Powerstation on Friday, November 14.

Get tickets to the NZ tour HERE

DICK MOVE SHARE NEW SINGLE + VIDEO

High-octane Aotearoa punks Dick Move stride back into 2025 with fierce new punk-rock battle cry 'Fuck It'. An uncompromising, strident anthem of self-determination delivered at pace - a flurry of fuzz and grit at just over 2 minutes in length - orchestrated to be played over again, and again.

The bands first new single since acclaimed 2023 LP Wet, the new single delivers on what Dick Move do best - unbridled rejection of misogyny, control and the systems that enable them. 'Fuck It' is a call to reclaiming our bodies, our rights, and our power - loud, proud, and without compromise. For fans of punk-rock that punches up.

To celebrate the release of 'Fuck It', join the band at their beloved stomping ground, Whammy! Bar on Karangahape Road in Auckland on Saturday, August 23rd. Available at the show will be a limited edition red 7" pressings of the single. Joining 'Fuck It' on the A-side is a currently unreleased track called 'Nurses', and the B-side heroes the bands SRN-topping live performance of 'Shut Your Mouth' by Dick Move & The Exploding Rainbow Orchestra.

Dick Move jump on a plane shortly after the release party to once again grace European biergartens and gas stations, bringing their unrelenting live-show across 14 dates this September.

The music video was directed by the band’s friend and collaborator, Stella Reid, and produced with support from NZ On Air.

Reid describes the video as “a two-minute single take of found footage in the wake of a truly great party.” She explains: “Lucy moves her body through anterooms and hallways that try to keep her in one place, the words of the song behaving like architecture - structures that both shelter and cage, deciding where we stay (‘it’s your body but my choice’). Throbbing beneath this seething mass of morning-afters is the basement: the segregated violence of the binary masculine and feminine. It’s here Lucy finds her escape - even if it feels like there’s nowhere left to run.”

'Fuck It' and 'Nurses' limited edition red 7" with B-side featuring a live performance of 'Shut Your Mouth' from Wet by Dick Move & The Exploding Rainbow Orchestra. Available on Saturday 23 August from Whammy! Bar, Tickets on sale HERE Or via Bandcamp and select retailers Preorder HERE.

About Dick Move: Energised by a strong community fighting for important social change and a need to turn late night political chat into action, Dick Move was formed in the depths of Karangahape Road’s Whammy Bar, and has become an essential party-punk voice for working people — and for all those that are fired up to make change in the world. 

Dick Move spit out short sharp hot takes that call to the increasingly messed up world around them. Notorious already for their pumping live shows, Dick Move’s catalogue of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it punk anthems are cutting, confronting, empowering and dripping with brash cheekiness and political angst. 'Wet' (2023) is the band's second studio release and makes a welcome addition to Dick Move’s catalogue. 'Wet' follows on from their 2020 debut 'Chop!'. The 13 tracks on 'Wet' were lovingly produced, recorded and mixed by Peter Ruddell (Wax Chattels, Sulfate) at The Beths’ studio on Karangahape Road, and mastered by Wellington legend James Goldsmith. 

Having supported Foo Fighters and The Breeders on their 2024 New Zealand tour, as well as Aussie stalwarts Amyl & The Sniffers, Cosmic Psychos and The Chats, Dick Move have recently been taking on international touring themselves; a 22-date European in 2024, with another in September 2025, plus multiple visits to neighbouring Australia. Maintaining momentum as socialist-party punk agitators is a challenge that the band face head on — and Dick Move will keep doing what they do best; shouting across oceans about things that matter, in a thick kiwi accent.

Huia x Baitercell - Kākano - Comes out August 1st

With a global rise in conscious lyrical content for Electronic music, Kākano is a tribute to the whakatauki (Māori proverb) ‘Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu’. Sometimes the ‘seed’ is more important than the bloom… 

Kākano is track 5 of her album Kawakawa, due for release in 2025 (more), and her music has been described as electronic with spirit and empowerment.   

Baitercell is an experienced producer who has been fundamental in the electronic movement of Aotearoa. As a multi-award winner and Silver Scrolls finalist, his trademark big subs and attention to detail make Kākano a lush, liquid Drum & Bass track for the big floor. Add this to the symphony layers of Maestro Stewart Allen with Huia’s ethereal vocals, and Kākano brings a fresh take on Aotearoa’s electro-Māori Hiko sound. 

Huia is an award-winning artist, Best Māori Wahine Solo Artist (WMMA) and has received multiple nominations, APRA Producer Award, and was a finalist for the SRN Awards for her waiata ‘Tuia Tuia ō Whakapapa’ (with Sean Richards) alongside the winner 2023 Mokotron. She has released 32 te reo Māori songs to date, playlisting on world music networks in Scotland, Australia, Rarotonga, Samoa, Canada’s Reclaimed Show (CBC), Iwi stations, Bnets and George FM in Aotearoa. 

Huia’s electro-Māori live sets in 2025 have been international, from Canada at Imaginative 25, famed Drom Taberna, the Indigenous Music Summit (Aotearoa Showcase 2025), at Scotland's Knockengorroch Festival, to home gigs for Music In Parks and the Festival of Lights. 

Her next gig is at the Osaka World Expo, Japan, where she is a Māori Music delegate for the indigenous week (Aug). Huia is paving pathways for more future sounds in te reo Māori musicians through the HūHā Music Project.

D.MATTHEWS RELEASES BANGING NEW SINGLE “GOOD LIFE” – A VIBRANT AFROPIANO ANTHEM

Nigerian-born Afrobeat artist D.Matthews is back with a banging new single titled “Good Life,” an Afropiano-inspired anthem that fuses smooth rhythms with spiritual affirmations and celebratory vibes. The
track is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Anchored in infectious percussion and soft melodic piano progressions, “Good Life” is a soul-soothing yet danceable tune that blends the groove of Afrobeats with the flair of Amapiano.

With heartfelt lyrics like “Lord I dey pray for good life / I dey pray for more health / Make bad man no come my way”, the track offers a message of hope, gratitude, and self-protection. Delivered in D.Matthews’ laid-back, confident flow, the song speaks to anyone striving for peace, growth, and joy in a chaotic world.

“This song is my personal prayer, but it’s also a soundtrack for anyone who just wants to live well, love life, and protect their energy,” says D.Matthews. “It’s for dreamers, survivors, and people who walk in
gratitude.”

“My Testimony”
“To the world”

D.Matthews continues to solidify his name as a rising voice in the global Afrobeat space, bringing the heat of West Africa to stages and speakers across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Following the success of previous singles and media placements on Triple J Unearthed, Muzic NZ, Dope Cause We Said, etc, “Good Life” reaffirms his commitment to creating music that is as purposeful as it is enjoyable.

Greta O'Leary River Dark Te Ika-a-Māui/North Island Tour Announce

Following on from Greta O'Learys album release shows announced for Melbourne and Auckland, O'Leary returns announcing an extensive 8 date tour of Te Ika-a-Māui, Aoteaora, across August and September. 

 ‘A folk-rooted aesthetic that feels almost gothic’ (RNZ). Taking her brand new album on tour for the first time as winter turns to spring, Greta O'Leary performs 'River Dark' across the motu in celebration of its release. River Dark' is O'Leary's debut, it shot to #9 on the Aotearoa Official Albums Chart, features the breakout singles 'Baby I'm a Singer' and 'Baptised at the Desktop Computer' and seen great support from RNZ, the SRN and Rolling Stone.

Joining her on tour along the way will be friends Goodnight My Darling (Wellington), Fables (Leigh), Moon Goose (Raglan & Hamilton), and more guests to be announced. She will be performing with her stellar live collaborators Jol Mulholland (Liam Finn, French for Rabbits), Nava Tekela-Pule (Erny Belle, LEAO), Alistair Deverick (Boycrush) and Amy Boroevich (HINA).

***********

Tāmaki Makaurau singer-songwriter and musician GRETA O'LEARY writes with clarity of vision, making introspective observations that seamlessly interlock with her spare, spacious and enthralling songcraft. Through soaring instrumentation, astute and occasionally absurd lyrics of self-reflection and her poignant voice, her debut is ‘slightly spooky, wryly funny, and expertly written’ (Tony Stamp).

“My first record, a collection of personal, ridiculous and truth telling songs. It took a long time to get here. I was a child shy and unclear, completely confused, absolutely not onboard with future, with goals or activity. I was in the field below the house, I was at the pond with the dog, I played make believe longer than most. I was taught to be quiet.”
       

Celebrated local songwriter GRETA O'LEARY is releasing her highly anticipated debut album RIVER DARK. Tender, steadfast, and unraveling, the new record features Greta’s breakout 2024 singles ‘Baby I’m a Singer’ and ‘Baptised at the Desktop Computer’ - both of which reached #1 on the SRN Top 10, while the latter also reached #1 on RadioScope’s Alt Chart. The obscure, dreamlike debut record was created alongside producer Jol Mulholland at LAB Studios, with Greta's hypnotic songwriting and unmistakable vocals accentuated through the skillful musicianship of instrumentalists Cass Basil (Tiny Ruins, The Veils), Alastair Deverick (Boycrush), Callum Passells (Hans Pucket) and Anita Clark (Motte). Listeners are invited deeper into Greta’s immersive and enthralling world with her debut record, RIVER DARK.

River Dark the album - https://music.drm.co.nz/river-dark

Baby I’m a Singer Music Video (Greta O’Leary) -
https://youtu.be/Wjy8xmq6JKs?si=c5xnXtxQ6-Yfzk5x

Greta O'Leary Tour Dates

16 August - Auckland Guide Hall - Auckland
22 August - Secret Show - Whanganui*
23 August - San Fran - Wellington*
24 August - Sacred Heart - Greytown*
30 August - Stewart St - Raglan*
31 August - Leigh Sawmill - Leigh
3 September - Dawn - Ōakura*
4 September - Hamilton - Last Place
* (trio show)

Georgia Lines delivers an achingly raw and honest new ballad, ‘Till The Music Stops’ + announces EP release shows for Auckland and Tauranga

Award-winning singer-songwriter Georgia Lines delivers a powerful new single, ‘Till The Music Stops’, showcasing her growth and artistry as she takes fans one step closer to the release of her upcoming EP, THE GUEST HOUSE (out Friday August 29).

Listen to ‘Till The Music Stops’ HERE

Imbued in a sense of stillness and a beautiful simplicity, which builds to an expansive and epic crescendo, ‘Till The Music Stops’ sees Georgia once again drawing deep from a well of emotion.

“It’s about that suspended space, the moment between holding on and letting go. It’s that feeling when time feels stretched and fragile, and you just want to stay there a little longer. Like being midair, holding your breath. You know things are shifting, you know change is coming, but you're not ready to face it yet,” explains Georgia.

Intentionally crafted to evoke feelings of nostalgia, with sonic touches such as the sound of a music box, the raw and powerful ballad first came to life when she was paired with fellow writers and producers Matt Hales and Joel Jones at an APRA Songhubs writing camp, curated by one of the most well-known names in New Zealand music, Brooke Fraser.

“It’s where I first met Matt and Joel. We ended up writing the song in that one session. I’d never worked with either of them before and I remember feeling such a deep sense of calm and connection in the room, which really shaped the song,” says Georgia.

The session sparked an ongoing creative partnership between Georgia and the Grammy and Ivor Novello Award-winning British songwriter, producer and recording artist, Matt Hales, who co-produced ‘Till The Music Stops’, alongside recent singles, ‘Wonderful Life’ and ‘Julia’.

The music video for ‘Till The Music Stops’ is in keeping with Georgia’s creative flair for capturing the meaning and emotion in her songs through powerful visuals and was filmed at The Guest House in Manawatu, which also became the visual home for the whole EP (also titled THE GUEST HOUSE).

Watch the video HERE.

“For this video, we wanted to explore the emotional duality within the song by creating two contrasting worlds,” says Georgia.

“One version of me lives inside the house - warm, calm, and content - moving through everyday moments: sitting by the fire, reading a book, hand-sewing on the windowsill. That image is a quiet nod to Carole King’s TAPESTRY album artwork, which was a key musical reference point for the overarching project. The inside version of me is someone who’s already made peace with what she’s lost.

“The other version exists outside. Shot in the dark and the rain, cold and aching, banging on the door, desperate to be let into the world the inside version has found. The video captures that suspended moment between holding on and letting go, and brings to life the emotional tension at the heart of the song.”

‘Till The Music Stops’, ‘Wonderful Life’ and ‘Julia’ make way for Georgia’s upcoming EP, THE GUEST HOUSE, which is out on Friday August 29.

Georgia is currently on a two-date tour in Australia. Last night she performed at Wesley Anne in Melbourne and tonight you can catch her at LOW 32 in Sydney. Get tickets HERE

Following the Australian shows, Georgia returns to Aotearoa for EP release shows in Tauranga at Totara St on Friday August 29, and then in Auckland at The Hollywood on Saturday August 30. Tusekah and Aisha and Bebe are special guests at both shows.

Tickets for the NZ shows are on sale now HERE

Frau Knotz delivers euphoric new single ‘Khepri’, ahead of forthcoming sophomore EP

Aotearoa electronica artist Frau Knotz unveils her second single of 2025 — the entrancing and transportive new track ‘Khepri’.

Hot on the heels of her high-octane release ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’, this latest single showcases a softer, more reflective side of her forthcoming sophomore EP, Digital Plastic Surgery — proving there are many spellbinding shades to her world of sound.

Channelling the euphoric spirit of Groove Armada in their balearic era, ‘Khepri’ invites the late-night club-goer to look inward, swaying gently under haze and strobes as the track pulses through the fog. An aching, detuned lead synth spins a haunting melody across an extended chord progression, carried by a steady, thudding beat. The minimalistic production gradually builds to an expansive, sun-soaked breakdown at 2:55 — representing the blazing midday peak — before spiralling into a heady rhythmic climax, and finally easing into a graceful fade as each layer quietly bows out. 

Named after the ancient Egyptian winged scarab god, ‘Khepri’ is a shimmering sonic journey tracing the sun’s arc from sunrise to sunset. Frau Knotz explains: “The scarab beetle was a symbol of new life and rebirth in Ancient Egypt because the beetle lays its eggs in a ball of dung. The Egyptians equated the hatching of the eggs with the rise of the ‘newly born’ sun. The scarab god Khepri was a creator; in the Pyramid Texts he was referred to as a sun god, ‘he who is coming into being’.’”

‘Khepri’ is the second offering from Digital Plastic Surgery, a richly diverse EP that serves as part one of a double-EP project. It dives deep into the many corners of electronica, drawing from unexpected wells of inspiration and shaped by a relentless creative drive to forge something emotionally resonant and sonically bold in a focused window of time. 

In celebration of this EP, Frau Knotz will be hosting two exclusive events; a virtual listening party on Bandcamp, 7pm Wednesday 6th August and an in-person listening party on release day, Friday 8th August at Peeps DIY in New Plymouth.

Mixed and mastered by Sam Johnson at Rhythm Ace Studio, ‘Khepri’ is a track that evokes wonder, hope, transformation, and reverence for everyday miracles. 2025’s single ‘Victory Dance on ZR3’ was swiftly picked up by George FM as well as across the bNets and independent radio stations across New Zealand and Australia, proving this EP’s popularity at an early stage. 

Fresh from her appearance at WOMAD Aotearoa 2025, Frau Knotz has had a stellar year — releasing three acclaimed singles and a debut EP, packing out her hometown premiere for the Nextraterrestrial film, headlining The Stomach in Palmerston North, and captivating a national audience at the Len Lye Centre. With more music and shows on the horizon, Frau Knotz is poised to lift hearts and energise dance floors with her signature blend of deep feeling and undeniable groove.