When NME arrives at The Howl At The Moon, the east London pub is swarmed by an army of Royel Otis fans. Nearly 500 of them await this ‘secret’ show – officially announced the very same day – representing the force of nature that the gripping Sydney indie rock duo have recently become.
As we bundle into this 150-capacity pub on a Monday night (June 23), a choice of two cocktails awaits: ‘The Royel’, advertised simply as a margarita, or ‘The Otis’ – a non-alcoholic paloma. “Train yourself up for that tequila journey,” quips Royel Maddell the following day in a Shoreditch workspace, when we demand an explanation as to why our heads feel so sore.
Despite drinking “several” himself, Maddell and his bandmate Otis Pavlovic are on top form, performing acoustic renditions of ‘Car’ and ‘Going Kokomo’. Next, they head streetside to reward fans who couldn’t get in with some more unplugged cuts, including their internet-breaking cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Linger’.
Incredibly, ‘Linger’ has eclipsed the band’s first viral cover – Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ – with the combined one-two punch catapulting Royel Otis into one of the hottest guitar acts in the world. Sandwiched between the two was an appearance on NME’s The Cover in 2024 and their debut album ‘Pratts & Pain’. Recorded in south London with famed producer Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C.), it saw their sun-kissed indie sound take a slightly moodier twist.
Having toured non-stop ever since, it was somewhat of a surprise when the duo announced their second album, ‘Hickey’, two months ago. “[A hickey] doesn’t stick,” says Pavlovic, explaining the time capsule in which the album was written, where both were navigating breakups. “It’ll last for a bit and you’ll remember it, but that memory will fade,” adds Maddell.
Barely a year on from ‘Pratts & Pain’, their new record leans on their guitar-driven roots while incorporating more dazzling indie-pop sound palettes. But where on earth did they find the time? NME meets Madell and Pavlovic in London for some answers.
Did you ever consider returning to London for album two?
Royel Maddell: “When we were in the US at the start of 2024, we started working with Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, who [ended up producing] a few songs on ‘Hickey’. When it came to the time of creating the album, it was like, ‘we’ll do it in LA with them’ – and some other people.”
Otis Pavlovic: “‘Pratts & Pain’ was a short trip. ‘Hickey’, we were there for four months, so we had to start a new life for a bit.”
Maddell: “We were working with such talented people, and they kept pushing us, because we were so burnt out from the massive year of touring – and straight into the studio. When we were feeling tired, they could sense it, and it gave us a booster shot.”
How did working with Blake and Omer compare to Dan Carey?
Maddell: “They definitely have more of a pop sensibility.”
Pavlovic: “They’re powerhouses. They have writing a hit in their mind.”
Maddell: “Whereas Dan wants the opposite.”
You told us your early material sounded “sunny and beachy”, and that you can “hear south London” in ‘Pratts & Pain’. What do you hear in this record?
Pavlovic: “It’s got elements of the [2022] ‘Bar & Grill’ and [2023] ‘Sofa Kings’ EPs.”
Maddell: “Every city has a colour. London is a blue-ish grey, LA is an orangey yellow. The album’s got a bit more of a summery, positive, party vibe to it.”
Does it suit you, going with the flow and travelling the world as you write albums?
Pavlovic: “Eventually, we’d like to live somewhere.”
Maddell: “It’s amazing seeing all these different places and meeting so many people, but to actually stop somewhere and know that’s your home? That’s a nice thought.”
How did you manage to make ‘Hickey’ in such a busy period?
Pavlovic: “It was the only time [we had] between touring.”
Maddell: “We would love to [have taken some time off first], but unfortunately, we don’t have the choice.”
How are you coping, mentally, with the pace of Royel Otis at the moment?
Pavlovic: “It’s a day-by-day thing, little steps… you come to terms with it, you get used to it – ish.”
Maddell: “I think an album [per] year is cool. The pressure and the drive is really good. It might be taxing at the time, mentally and physically. In the long run, that’s what I’d prefer to do, rather than sitting on fucking nothing.”
Opener ‘I Hate This Tune’ feels like classic Royel Otis – how connected do you feel to the band’s DNA?
Pavlovic: “When I found that song, I was like, ‘That’s the in-between song.’”
Maddell: “Every band that I love, I always like the first two albums. I think it’s cool to keep the DNA. The only band that has done it right, from the start up until today, is Radiohead. They’ve done such a good job of manoeuvring different genres, and being cool as fuck the entire way through.
Who has the perfect first two albums, then?
Maddell: “Those first two Kings Of Leon albums are unbelievably phenomenal. The best [debut] album would be Bloc Party.”
Why was ‘Moody’ the right song to introduce this new chapter?
Pavlovic: “I don’t know if it felt right, [but] it was different enough… whatever you do, you’ve just gotta back it. To a certain extent, it’s about trusting your gut.”
Maddell: “A lot of people assume that we make all the decisions because we’re the faces of it… ironic, because I never show my face.”
Would you ever start showing your face in the future?
Maddell: “Yeah, 100 per cent. It’s easier in a lot of ways – music videos and photos – it doesn’t matter if I’ve got a pimple or anything, so I don’t get self-conscious. It’s stupid, because it’s like, ‘Oh, he doesn’t want to be recognised.’ It’s not that, otherwise I wouldn’t dye my hair fucking bright pink.”
There was some backlash around the lyric “my girl’s a bitch when she’s moody” being misogynistic. Have you had any conversations to reflect on that?
Maddell: “Even though it’s Otis singing, it’s a character [in a song that’s] about being in a toxic relationship. There’s no hero in that story, it’s just an ugly situation. We didn’t want to offend anyone.”
Pavlovic: “We live in a world where people can be very sensitive – which is good – but music is one of those things which I feel should always be an outlet, and there should be some sort of leeway, because it’s not a personal thing.”
‘Who’s Your Boyfriend’ and ‘Dancing With Myself’ have some glorious pop sensibilities…
Pavlovic: “They’re definitely nostalgic. ‘Who’s Your Boyfriend’, instrumentally, reminds me of ’80s new wave.”
Maddell: “We were trying to go for ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, but ended up with [The] 1975!”
Will there come a point where you want to distance yourselves from ‘Linger’ and ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’, or are you happy keeping them on the setlist – even at the expense of new material – for the foreseeable?
Pavlovic: “At the moment, yes, because if I go to see a band, I wanna see the songs that [I know]. They’re the ones that people want to hear, and if other ones take over, they can have the foot up.”
Maddell: “It’s so hard, because ‘Murder…’ gets everyone hyped and ‘Linger’ gets everyone singing along, which makes us feel better. It’d be nice to not do them – not because we don’t like the songs, but because they’re not our songs, it feels like a cop out, sometimes.”
Have triple J or SiriusXM asked you to do another cover?
Pavlovic: “No. We’ve given them business for the next 20 years!”
Royel Otis’ ‘Hickey’ is out now via Ourness/Capitol Records.