Royel Otis

with Girl and Girl

@ Racket NYC

Photos by Morgan Winston, Review by Erica Tello

Across from Manhattan’s Chelsea Market, Racket NYC was bustling with a crowd waiting to line up to see Royel Otis, pop-duo hailing from Australia. Royal Otis played two nights at the small venue for a mighty following of the band with 650 capacity each night. After selling out smaller venues like Racket NYC across the U.S, the band took on a second leg of their tour this Fall where they’re tripling the size of the venues and playing multiple nights. New York is lucky to have another chance to see the band again for two sold-out nights at Brooklyn Steel in September.

After their featured covers of Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” and The Cranberries’ “Linger” went viral on Triple J’s Like a Version series, the band has surpassed the Australian indie scene to being a globally-known pop band.  Their first full-length album came out this year titled Pratts and Pain, which dominated most of the setlist at Racket NYC. The album was named after a pub near where the two friends, Otis Pavlovic and Royel Maddell, recorded the album in South London. Amongst playing hits from the album like crowd-favorite, “Fried Rice” and danceable “Heading For The Door,” the band sprinkled in unreleased ballads which we can expect on their next record. 

Early in the set, the band’s youthful energy and charismatic pop sound was magnetic when they played “Velvet.” The song’s lyrics repeat “my baby says” with a blend of guitars and keys that feel cathartic for the listener.  The sound of their debut record is reminiscent of a blend of up-tempo, new wave sound of the 80’s and the indie-pop sound of the early 2010’s, which lends to the diversity of their listeners. Another notorious part of the set was hearing obvious roars for “Going Kokomo” and “Sofa King” from their first EP release of Sofa King in 2023. Even though the songs are only a year old,  the songs feel nostalgic as an early listener who has been blasting Pratts and Pain non-stop this year.  

The band closed with “Oysters In My Pocket,” their most popular streaming song from 2022 on Spotify. The lo-fi is electric, beachy and playful, which has set the tone for the band’s sound thus far.  After the captivation from the audience through this dance song finale, the band took us to an endearing, tender mood coming out for an encore to play their rendition of “Linger.” The crowd quickly went quiet, yet a sea of phones captured the moment on video to relish in for later.  The intimacy of the crowd, who seemed like superfans, created a special experience for the audience especially since we can expect the rising band to continue to play larger, sold-out rooms. Their timeless pop sound, viral success and infectious crowd-pleasing energy proves the fresh indie band is quickly on the rise and gaining attention like wildfire.