Artist Highlight
Royel Otis swing between melodic, pop- inspired indie and woozy psych, but it never feels tied to one lane. As soon as one style or mood has outstayed its welcome, they handbrake turn into psychedelic weirdness or dissonant noise
– Rough Trade
With a palatable indie-pop, guitar-rock sound, Royel Otis has taken advantage of platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Bandcamp to gain a following and both satellite and (the remaining) terrestrial alt-rock radio stations have taken a liking to the band’s sound. The streaming numbers are through the roof and while that can be accomplished due to placement on Spotify playlists and the like, it doesn’t always translate into ticket sales. For Royel Otis, however, selling out 200 – 500-cap venues in the U.S. this spring has resulted in a second leg taking place later this year at venues double and triple the size of the clubs the band is currently playing. With so much momentum, there’s little doubt those shows will sell out as well.
In the lyrical justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: The Royel, who investigates rhyme, and Otis, who prosecutes the offenders. These are their stories:
The Aussie band’s leads are Royel M and Otis Pavolic, who take inspiration from Michael Jackson, Jonathan Richman from The Modern Lovers, and Frank Ocean. The lyrist, Royel Maddell. is inspired by anime and frequently visits Sydney and Byron Bay to enjoy the scenery while composing. Otis Pavolic, the second half of the duo, loves experimenting with sound, creating a new-wave psychedelic pop. Coupled with producers Rob Brinkman and Dan Carey, the group beat Hozier in the Charts, And have their exclusive Urban Outfitters vinyl is out now:
Their debut album, PRATTS & PAIN, has just been released, but the group was formed back in 2019. The breakout Sydney artist is currently topping the charts, along with their cover of Murder on the Dance Floor and later their song Oyster In My Pocket.
Here are some of their top songs:
With that in mind, Pratts & Pain is a debut that arrived in February like a third or fourth record, and maybe that has to do with some of the songs—like “Sofa King”—having existed for years already. But there’s something to be said for how good Royel Otis sounded so early on in their career, how two Sydney kids funneled their mashed-up ideas through a gear gonzo’s extensive collection of synths and sequencers—and all without sacrificing the noisy, rock-driven baseline that frames so much of their material. Some bands go into album mode with a mission statement in mind, while others prefer to let the work take them wherever it demands they go.
Maddell and Pavlovic suggest that “Heading For the Door” and “Glory to Glory” are the best examples of where Royel Otis is heading: synth-pop. There was no all-encompassing, vibe-driven aim for Royel Otis with Pratts & Pain; Maddell and Pavlovic wanted each song to have a goal. “Each song had a turn,” Pavlovic says. “Adored” was started from scratch off his demo, while he and Maddell wrote and recorded “Glory to Glory” in one day.
And the way the record is multi-directional, collaging textures of post-punk, synth-pop and psychedelia into a project full of juxtaposing, contradictory, bombastic and gentle forces, offers the Royel Otis formula enough space to change from song to song.
As Royel Otis gets cracking, the group enjoys an unexpected piece of chart glory. On the latest ARIA Chart, their cover of “Linger (SiriusXM Session)”, originally recorded by The Cranberries in 1994, cracks the top 50 for the first time, at #46. The viral cut gave Royel Otis a first-up entry on the US Billboard Hot 100 last August, opening and peaking at #94. At the top of 2024, the Grammys named Royel Otis as one of their “25 Artists To Watch”. By year’s end, Royel Otis had snagged a swag of ARIA Awards, including best group.
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