Royel Otis | |
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![]() Royel Maddell (left) and Otis Pavlovic (right) | |
Background information | |
Origin | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
Genres | |
Years active | 2019–present |
Labels |
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Members |
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Website | royelotis |
Royel Otis is an Australian indie pop duo from Sydney, formed in 2019 by Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic. Their music encompasses the styles of indie rock, new wave, pop rock, post-punk and psychedelic rock. [1] Royel Otis released three EPs, including Sofa Kings , before their debut studio album, Pratts & Pain , was released in February 2024. The duo won four awards at the 2024 ARIA Music Awards. Their sophomore studio album, Hickey , released on 22 August 2025.
Royel Maddell (born Leroy Francis Bressington [2] [3] ) and Otis Pavlovic had known of each other around the Byron Bay area and had family friends in common before Pavlovic sent Maddell some demos in 2019. They bonded over their shared love of the same bands and music, with Maddell claiming this was "the collaboration he'd been chasing his whole life". [4] [5] Prior to Royel Otis, Maddell fronted the band Cabins in the mid-2010s [6] [7] and in 2018 released a solo EP entitled S.O.R.E. under the name Leroy Francis. [8] [9] The band name Royel Otis is a combination of the first names of Maddell and Pavlovic, respectively. [10]
In October 2021, the duo released their debut EP Campus. [11] This was followed in August 2022, with Bar n Grill of which included their breakthrough single "Oysters in My Pocket." [12] [13] Off the back of the single's success, Spotify selected Royel Otis for the platform's RADAR program. [14] Their third EP Sofa Kings , released in March 2023, peaked at number 43 on the ARIA Charts following its physical release in July 2023. [15] In September 2023, their song "Going Kokomo" was included in the EA Sports FC 24 soundtrack. [16] Their song "Nack Nostalgia" was featured in The Sims 4 ; the duo also re-recorded their song in Simlish specifically for the game. [17]
In January 2024, the Grammy Awards named Royel Otis as one of 25 Artists to Watch in 2024.' [18] Later in January 2024, Royel Otis performed Like a Version cover of Sophie Ellis-Bextor's song "Murder on the Dancefloor" for Australian radio station Triple J. [19] The cover went viral. [20] It reached the ARIA Charts in February and reached No. 1 on the US Alternative Radio Chart in June. [21] [22]
Royel Otis' debut studio album Pratts & Pain was released on 16 February 2024, debuting at No. 1 on the ARIA Australian Albums Chart. [23] [24]
The duo performed a cover of the Cranberries' "Linger" for SiriusXM radio in April 2024. It became a viral global hit on social media and reached the Billboard Hot 100 in August 2024. [25] [26] The song was also featured in The Summer I Turned Pretty . [27]
On 17 October 2024, Royel Otis made their US television debut performing "Sofa King" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! [28] During the year, the duo played more than 100 sold out shows, selling over 100,000 tickets across Australia, the UK, Europe and the USA.[ citation needed ] Following their success in the US, Royel Otis were signed by Capitol Records in November 2024. [29] [30]
In January 2025, their cover of "Murder on the Dancefloor" ranked No. 2 on Triple J Hottest 100 of 2024, with "Heading for the Door", "Foam" and "If Our Love Is Dead" also charting. [31] "Til the Morning", "Clawfoot" and their SiriusXM cover of "Linger" rounded out the Triple J Hottest 200, [32] making Royel Otis one of the most represented artists featured in Triple J Hottest 100, 2024.
In May 2025, the duo released lead single "Moody" off their second studio album, Hickey. [33] The song received backlash on social media, with commenters perceiving its lyrics to be misogynistic. The duo were also accused of silencing online criticism by deleting comments addressing the perceived misogynistic tone of the song and its accompanying videoclip which features what were believed to be visual allusions to Lolita . [34] [35] Whilst the duo themselves did not publicly comment on the backlash, a non-apology apology was issued through the band's management, with Kay and Hughes Arts and Entertainment Lawyers stating the song was "written from a specific perspective" and was "not intended to convey a broader view or standpoint about women in general." [36] [37]
Royel Otis landed their first Billboard No. 1 with "Moody", which exceeded their previous No. 2 peak on Alternative Airplay with their cover of "Murder on the Dancefloor". [38] Royel Otis became the first act to score an initial No. 1 on Adult Alternative Airplay in 2025. [39]
The duo's second single "Car" was released on 27 June 2025, accompanied by a music video filmed in New York City. [40]
On 15 August 2025, Maddell collapsed onstage whilst performing at the MS Dockville festival in Hamburg, Germany. The band announced that Maddell's onstage collapse was due to a virus, and cancelled their upcoming performance at the Lowlands + Pukkelpop festival. [41] [42]
Royel Otis' sophomore album, Hickey , released on 22 August 2025. [43] The same day, the music video for "Who's Your Boyfriend", featuring American actress Lola Tung, was released. [44] The album landed at #1 on the ARIA Aus Album Charts. [45]
Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [46] | AUT [47] | BEL (FL) [48] | GER [49] | NLD [50] | NZ [51] | SCO [52] | UK [52] | UK Indie [52] | |||||
Pratts & Pain |
| 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — [A] | 21 | |||
Hickey | 5 [53] | 31 | 20 | 34 | 14 | 32 | 9 | 14 | — | ||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | EP details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [46] | |||||||||||||
Campus |
| — | |||||||||||
Bar n Grill |
| — | |||||||||||
Sofa Kings |
| 43 | |||||||||||
Nashville Sessions | — | ||||||||||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AUS [46] | CAN Rock [55] | ICE [56] | IRE [57] | JPN Over. [58] | NZ Hot [59] | UK [52] | UK Indie [52] | US [60] | US Rock [61] | |||||
"Only One" [62] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Campus | ||
"Without U" [62] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Oysters in My Pocket" [63] | 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — [B] | — | — | Bar n Grill | ||
"Bull Breed" [66] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Motels" [67] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Kool Aid" [68] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sofa Kings | |||
"I Wanna Dance with You" [69] | 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Sofa King" [70] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — [C] | ||||
"Going Kokomo" [72] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Adored" [73] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pratts & Pain | |||
"Fried Rice" [74] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Heading for the Door" [75] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Velvet" [76] | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Murder on the Dancefloor" ( Like a Version ) | 35 | 29 | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | 41 |
| Non-album single | ||
"Foam" [78] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pratts & Pain | |||
"Claw Foot" [79] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Linger" (SiriusXM Session) | 37 | — | — | 63 | — | 11 | 84 | 17 | 94 | 16 |
| Non-album single | ||
"Nack Nostalgia" [80] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Bose x NME: C24 Mixtape | |||
"Til the Morning" [81] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Pratts & Pain (extended) | |||
"If Our Love Is Dead" [82] | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | — | — | Pratts & Pain (deluxe) | |||
"Moody" [33] | 2025 | — | 15 | 40 | — | — | 20 | — [D] | — | — | — [E] | Hickey | ||
"Car" [84] | — | — | — | — | 18 | 37 | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Say Something" [85] | — | — | — | — | 11 | 40 | — | — | — | — | ||||
"Who's Your Boyfriend" [86] | — | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | ||||
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Royel Otis | Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year | Won | [87] |
Sofa Kings | Best Independent Rock Album or EP | Nominated | ||
2025 | Pratts & Pain | Independent Album of the Year | Nominated | [88] [89] |
Best Independent Rock Album or EP | Nominated | |||
Ourness and The Annex for Pratts & Pain | Independent Marketing Team of the Year | Won | ||
Thinking Loud for Pratts & Pain | Independent Publicity Team of the Year | Won |
The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Otis Pavlovic & Royel Maddell | Emerging Songwriter of the Year | Nominated | [90] |
2025 | "Heading for the Door" (Otis Pavlovic, Royel Maddell, Daniel Carey) | Song of the Year | Shortlisted | [91] |
Otis Pavlovic & Royel Maddell | Emerging Songwriter of the Year | Won | [92] |
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the Australian music industry.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Sofa Kings | Michael Gudinski Breakthrough Artist | Nominated | [93] |
2024 | Pratts & Pain | Album of the Year | Nominated | [94] |
Best Group | Won | |||
Best Rock Album | Won | |||
Best Independent Release | Nominated | |||
"Murder on the Dance Floor" (Triple J Like a Version) | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
Pratts & Pain Tour | Australian Live Act | Nominated | ||
Chris Collins for Royel Otis - Pratts & Pain | Best Produced Release | Won | ||
Best Engineered Release | Won |
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | "Kool Aid" | Australian Video of the Year | Nominated | [95] |
2024 | Pratts & Pain | Australian Album of the Year | Nominated | [96] |
The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Royel Otis | Best New Artist | Nominated | [97] |
2025 | "If Our Love Is Dead" | Best Single | Shortlisted | [98] |