Royel Otis have confirmed their sophomore album Hickey will land on 22nd August (pre-order here). The announcement follows a breakout year for the Sydney duo, whose debut Pratts & Pain arrived just this February.
The new record is led by first single ‘Moody’, and if their live shows are anything to go by – including back-to-back sold-out gigs at the Troubadour in LA – there’s plenty more where that came from.
“Because love bites harder than any other emotion in the world,” the band explain of the album title.
The news comes as Royel Otis tear through a hefty international schedule, with slots at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Lollapalooza and Governor’s Ball. Their new ‘meet me in the car’ tour also kicks off soon, covering headline dates across North America with support from Dancer and Bby. New York and Austin have already sold out.
Formed in Bondi in 2019, Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic stumbled across their sound with little planning – just a couple of guitars and a handful of sketches. They’ve since become known for their melodic indie-pop instincts, warm humour, and wildly popular covers. Their version of ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ was a surprise radio hit, topping alternative charts in the US and landing at number two in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2024.
They followed that with a cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Linger’, which became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry and racked up over 220 million global streams. Their live reputation has grown just as fast – over 100 shows in 2024 alone, selling more than 100,000 tickets across the UK, Europe, the US and Australia.
At the ARIAs, they were one of the year’s most nominated acts, going on to win four awards, including Best Rock Album and Best Group. For a band with a knack for casual brilliance, Hickey looks set to build on something that’s clicked fast and deep with fans around the world.
