Royel Otis

Royel Otis (Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic) join us for a special performance and interview with Kevan Kenney from KROQ's Helpful Honda Sound Space in Los Angeles as the Australian Alt-Pop duo gets set to drop their debut studio album, Pratts & Pain, scheduled for release on February 16. After forming in Sydney in 2019, Royel Otis have three official EP's under their collective belts (2021’s Campus, 2022’s Bar & Grill, and 2023’s Sofa Kings) as they're steadily ramping up anticipation for the release of their full-length debut, Pratts & Pain, in just a few short weeks. Already on the minds of music fans following the release of their 2023 single “Sofa King,” it was their recent cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor” that has gone nuclear right at the moment. The fan reaction has been “crazy,” they both admit.  “We rehearsed it one day before we started doing it,” says Pavolic. “Yeah, we had about an hour to get it done and then well, that’s what happens,” adds Maddell. They had a few ideas in mind for the session, including the classic, “Build Me Up Buttercup.” “We were just running through ideas, pretty stressed out,” Royel admits, “ and then someone was like, ‘just try ‘Murder on the Dance Floor,’ and we were like, ‘give it a crack,’ and then it worked out.” Flipping the script, if the guys could pick a contemporary artist to cover their single }Sofa King,” Maddell chooses fellow Aussies DMA'S... “I reckon they'll do it, however expanding the pool of artists to those who have already passed, Sinéad O'Connor was first to be mentioned. Discussing their hit single, they explained how it came about as a demo that Royel had, being good friends with the DMA’S guys who were starting to take off. “I was like, ‘I'm gonna take advantage of my friends, capitalize on it,’ and I was like, ‘Try to write a song that I thought would suit them. And then I was like, ‘no, it's better for me.’ Then Otis and I started doing music, and I was like, ‘it's actually better for Otis.’ Royel Otis is currently on the road in New Zealand and Australia, with plans to hit North American cities beginning in April supported by Girl and Girl.  Listen to Kevan Kenney's full interview with Royel Otis above -- and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.  Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Kevan Kenney