In the space of less than 12 months, Royel Otis has gone from being 'just another' indie band on Triple J's rotation, to being well-known to anyone interested in the contemporary Australian music scene.  So, who are they?  They are a four-piece band from Sydney.  Their name is a mashup of the two guitarists: Royel Maddelland Otis Pavlovic.  Their music is a blend of indie rock and guitar pop.  It's energetic, and fun.  The lyrics are catchy and occasionally nonsensical. 

Saturday was my fourth time seeing the band – first, at Indi Bar for their Sofa Kings EP tour, then at Splendour at the Grass (where they played two sets), Spilt Milk and now at Freo Social for their biggest WA show to date.  As it happened, their debut album (Pratts & Pain) was the feature album on Triple J on the week leading up to their Perth show; a perfect way to whet fans' appetites. 

Pratts & Pain retains many of the essential characteristics of Otis' earlier work, such as the rhythm and drive provided by the energetic guitar strumming and the youthful, slightly absurd lyrics.  But there is a much greater diversity of emotion being explored.  There is the emotional angst from the give and take of human relationships (Heading for the Door) and the self-reflections from failed endeavours (Velvet), which are juxtaposed against the more upbeat, almost adult songs like Adored and Fried Rice.

The newer Pratts & Pain hits were interspersed with the classical Otis favourites, such as Bull Breed (telling the story of an overconfident youthful character running around with the energy of a bull in a pen), I Wanna Dance With You  (self-explanatory), Sofa King and Going Kokomo (an ode to not overthinking things).  The last three all featured in the Hottest 200 of 2023 and were well-received by the crowd, particularly the ones that had followed the band since their first two EPs.

Next up was a cover that now needs no recognition – the Sophie Ellis-Bextor hit, Murder on the Dance Floor.  All good Like a Versions are a careful mix of the spirit of the original with the soul of the coverer, and this is no different.  It is very much a cover of the original (and not entirely a new song) but elevates it from a noughties dance song to a proper headbanger, with the characteristic fast-paced rhythm of so many pieces in Bar & Grill, Sofa Kings and Pratts & Pain. 

The band then closed with their most popular work to date – Oysters in My Pocket – and reappeared for an encore where keyboardist/vocalist (and Perth boy) Tim Ayres joined Otis and the adoring crowd in singing Kool Aid.

Royel Otis' breakthrough is a particularly strong achievement when considering the relative 'flatness' of Australian indie in the last calendar year (for example, the composition of the Hottest 100 of 2023).  At each step of their journey, their profile and audience have exponentially grown.  Gone, probably, are the days of Otis playing an intimate show at a venue like Indi Bar or a 12 pm festival set – so catch them before they get too big.  And, if you're a bit dusty the next day, you can always mop it up with some Fried Rice or head to a Bar & Grill.

Photos courtesy of Jayda Whitehall