Tonight on The Artist Hour we’re turning up the volume for Royel Otis,

Royel Otis are a duo from Sydney, made up of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic. While working in bars and cafes in the Bondi area, they discovered a musical chemistry that grew from jam sessions and sharing their similar tastes in songs. Their early days in 2019 involved blending home-grown production and DIY sample-based work (in Otis’s case) with Royel’s songwriting.

Musically, their style mixes catchy indie rock and pop melodies with dreamy, laid-back textures and thoughtful, sometimes sentimental lyricism. Their releases, from early EPs like Campus and Bar N’ Grill to later work like Sofa Kings illustrate their evolving range, balancing upbeat hooks with more atmospheric or introspective moments. Production collaborators and a distinctive, fuzzy guitar sound give them both immediacy and mood.

Their breakthrough came in the early 2020s, as they blossomed domestically and internationally. They’ve toured widely, released a debut full album Pratts & Pain in 2024, and picked up strong recognition—charting in alternative radio, doing well in festivals, covering classic songs (like Sophie Eliis Bextor's “Murder on the Dancefloor”) that introduced them to broader audiences, and earning ARIA Awards.

Their growing fanbase and critical buzz suggest they’re becoming one of the more exciting indie acts to emerge from Australia in recent years and we cannot wait for them to come to Rockhal on Friday, the 5th of December.

Tonight, the Artist Hour is featuring the dreamy indie sounds of Royel Otis.