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]
2024–2025: Commercial breakthrough and Pratts & Pain
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]
Members
Otis Pavlovic – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Royel Maddell – lead guitar, backing vocals, bass, synthesizer
Current touring musicians
Tim Ayre – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals (2019–present)
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.
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