A Chat With Royel Otis: Your New Favorite Aussie Band
Interview by Zayne Isom
Royel Otis is winning over alternative music fans from around the world. The Australian band, composed of Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, formed during the pandemic and have quickly seen success with their single “Oysters in My Pocket.” Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Sydney, the dynamic pair is making waves with their innovative sound and captivating performances. Drawing inspiration from a variety of musical influences, including artists like Frank Ocean, James Blake, and King Krule, Royel Otis creates a sound that is at once familiar and refreshingly original. Their songs explore themes of love, self-discovery, and the human experience, all infused with a contemporary edge and a touch of soulful nostalgia.
Since emerging onto the music scene, less than two years ago, Royel Otis has garnered attention and acclaim for their innovative approach to music-making. They have graced the stages of renowned venues and festivals, captivating audiences with their unique sound and undeniable talent.
PLEASER hopped on zoom with Royel Otis earlier this month to talk about their latest release “Sofa Kings’ and their first US tour later this year!
PLEASER: How long have you known each other [and] how did you start playing music?
Otis: We’ve known each other for three or four years.
Roy: Probably. But we weirdly sort of had the same family friends growing up, which we didn't even know about till recently. We went to the same farmhouse as kids and stuff. It's so weird.
O: Yeah. Roy's dad was really good friends with my uncle.
R: I was playing around in a few bands, mostly just guitar. And just like helping out with friends’ bands and stuff. Nothing sort of seemed to click that well with me. And then you [Otis] were just doing solo stuff, right?
O: Yeah, just while I was finishing school.
How did you learn to play an instrument?
R: I taught myself guitar. My dad likes to tell people that he taught me but he didn't, unless it's just the standard G chord (laughs). He bought me a guitar pedal though, I'll give him that.
How did your paths cross and eventually form “Royel Otis”
R: I think through mutual friends.
O: Yeah, mutual friends and girlfriends.
R: My girlfriend was friends with Otis’ girlfriend. We kind of all went to the same sort of bars and pubs and stuff. And it just kind of ended up revolving around a pool table.
What was the first song you sat down and wrote as a band?
O: “Wait." It was on our first EP.
I feel like a lot of bands take a while to develop their sound before releasing anything so it's interesting that you chose to release that first song.
R: Yeah, I think it's still pretty good and holds up as our sound. I love seeing the complete evolution of the band, you know, from when they're trying to figure out their sound to when they think they've got their sound. I think it's like, you know, get it all out there. People want to see the journey. I think it also makes it personal, far more personal for people who aren't even involved.
What does your creative process look like?
R: It's usually a whole bunch of voice memos and then we get into the studio and sort of clash ideas. Otis and I usually send each other our ideas before anyone else hears them and then yeah, build from that.
Where do you draw inspiration from? Like other artists, movies, nature, friends.
R: Weirdly, mine's probably anime series, when I'm falling asleep. A lot of the time they've got these really nice outro music songs that calm you down after the hecticness of some dark anime.
O: I'd say mine is probably just listening to music, other artists. King Krule just put out some new songs that are actually pretty cool and the music videos to them are really sick.
R: I've been listening to Cities Aviv. There's this one song called “NOT THAT I’M ANYWHERE” that’s amazing. And also, weirdly, Death Grips. I love listening to Death Grips. If you're if you're walking somewhere and you got your headphones in, like, Death Grips just get you there faster.
Does living in Australia inspire the “vibe” of your music?
O: I guess unintentionally, for sure.
R: Yeah, because no matter what we seem to do, people usually say it's got a summer vibe to it. And even when I can't hear it, it’s often got a beach rock sort of vibe to it.
Did the success of “Oysters in My Pocket” come as a surprise to you?
R&O: Yes
O: Massively
R: It wasn't even a planned song to be working on or anything. We definitely didn't intend for it to be a single. I think we released it first soit could prop up what we thought were gonna be more singles and it ended up just taking off. Like it was a surprise. But thinking about it now, It doesn't surprise me because it's just a party for everyone.
You worked a lot with Chris Collins on the new EP, who's done work with Skeggs and Middle Kid, how did you start working with him?
O: He lives in Byron Bay, which is like 10 hours north from us. I think we just went for like a week writing session and then decided to record more with him.
R: Yeah, that ended up being a pretty good week and [we] just had a good time. He's a really good guy and a good cook. The hours really didn’t seem that long. We would just have barbecues and stuff. I swear we spent more time cooking than we did cooking up tunes when I think back to it.
How was the process of recording “Sofa Kings” different from your previous EP’s?
O: We didn't have as long to record everything. It was just a bit faster. We would normally get songs done in one day and didn't really have time to overthink it as when we were working with Jules (previous producer) we lived down the street so we were there longer than we needed to be, I guess?
R: At Chris' place, it wasn't like, we could just go home or pop down to the beach or anything. We were 10 hours away from anyone we knew or any place we knew sort of thing. There was nothing else to do really.
As an artist and creative myself, I love your visuals and I've been really inspired by your music videos and visualisers. Some of them are super story driven like Oysters in my Pocket and Motels. Who helps you bring these songs to life with the visuals?
R: We've got one secret weapon, Ady Neshoda. She does all of our art direction. All the artwork, clips, merch. She’s super talented.
O: We were definitely lucky meeting Ady.
How important is the visual side of the songs to you?
R: I think it's pretty important just to be able to have a little bit of a window into the artist's mind. So not all of that comes up from, you know, just speculation or whatever. I think it's the best when people hear something and make up whatever they think. But I think a little window or even just just to show that we have taste in stuff outside of music.
How involved are you on the creative side?
R: Ultimately, it comes down to our choice. With a couple of the videos, we’ve put together our own mood boards before sending it out. And we'll have a lot of references from films or certain scenes we like, even colors.
What’s your favorite music video you’ve made so far?
R: The funnest, for sure, was “Bull Breed,” for myself. We just got lucky (finding the amusement park). Ady found that location on the way to this bull farm that we were going to and that was the night before the carnival opened. So they were just testing the rides and they let us in.
O: It was also crazy because we had to walk in front of these bulls that were just walking behind us.
R: It was just such a good experience. That one was really fun.
One of my favorite songs at the moment has been your song “Razor Teeth” off your EP Sofa Kings. There's a lyric in there that sticks out and it's “Sung like silk through razor teeth.” Where did this line come from?
R: We were again, just throwing out ideas. And I think Otis and I were both saying a similar line, but with a slightly different lyric. And then we met somewhere in the middle. I always like lyric lines that are oxymorons and contradict themselves.
Do you have any dream venues you’d like to play eventually?
O: I'd love to eventually go back and do a show at River stage in Brisbane. That’s a pretty cool venue.
R: Red Rocks would be sick. It looks like a beautiful stage.
Connect with Royel Otis here & make sure to catch them in a city near you this fall!
