Royel Otis (Ourness/Capitol)

For a young band only recently releasing their sophomore album, the Australian duo of Royel Otis wasted no time cementing their presence in the Triple A format this summer. Their infectious lead single, “moody,” was quick to climb the JBE charts as soon as it was released in May. It hit #1 on the Top 50 Tracks chart the week of July 8, and stayed there for six consecutive weeks, while also reaching #1 on the Top 50 Non-Comm Albums chart for three weeks. Now that the full album, hickey, was finally released on August 22, it does not disappoint. 

Royel Otis has a knack for crafting the perfect mixture of ‘90s Alternative Rock, ethereal keyboard sounds that are reminiscent of The Cure, and catchy, sing-along Pop hooks. The duo even delves into a touch of Yacht Rock on dreamy tunes such as “torn jeans” and “come on home.” hickey opens with the upbeat anthem “i hate this tune,” an undeniably catchy song that sets the tone for much of the album’s theme: the highs and lows of messy young love. “who's your boyfriend” is a romantic new wave track featuring soaring synth melodies and driving guitars. The album also includes the previously released song “car,” which launched as a BBC Radio 1 “Hottest Record” and was co-written with Pop producer Omer Fedi (Lil Nas X, The Kid LAROI).

The band’s success was spawned from a chance meeting between Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, two musicians who were both working at bars and cafes in the same neighborhood before getting together one day in 2019 with their guitars and some song sketches. Without any expectations, they soon discovered an unspoken chemistry that resulted in effortlessly catchy music. Then came their debut album, 2024’s Pratts & Pain, and Royel Otis began their ascent to Indie Rock fame with early hits like “Fried Rice” and “Foam.” With the demand for live shows at a high, the guys played more than 100 shows throughout the rest of 2024, touring across Australia, the U.K, Europe and America. The pair returned home to Australia later that year as one of the most nominated artists at the 2024 ARIA Awards (Australia’s biggest music award show), and they went on to win four awards including Best Rock Album and Best Group.

Now, with the sophomore album hickey under their belts, Royel Otis recently completed a run of high profile festival appearances in the U.S. and abroad, including Outside Lands, Lollapalooza, Reading and Leeds, and Japan’s Fuji Rock. Soon they will launch their headlining meet me in the car tour, which kicks off on September 12 in Philadelphia. The tour culminates with two nights in New York City on October 11 and 12, before heading overseas for the rest of the year. 

Photo by Zora Sicher