Royel Otis

After forming in 2019 and slowly drip-feeding music into the world during the pandemic, Royel Otis garnered fans in BBC Radio 6 Music, triple j and on US college radio. To date, they have amassed over 75 million streams, covered global playlists on Spotify and Apple Music, and headed out on a debut headline tour of the UK and Europe. After releasing their first music in the form of 2021 EP Campus, the duo shared a further pair of EPs in 2022 – Bar & Grill and Sofa Kings – which slowly and carefully morphed their sound into new shapes, moving away from synths and towards guitars while keeping their signature and rare chemistry. Across their debut album Pratts & Pain, Royel Otis swing between melodic, pop-inspired indie and woozy psych, but it never feels tied to one lane. As soon as one style or mood has outstayed its welcome, they handbrake turn into psychedelic weirdness or dissonant noise, keeping everybody on their toes. Whatever sonic template the music might be based on though, the crux of Royel Otis comes back to a foundational DNA of mutual trust. Royel says: “We have fun together, and it’s not difficult. I trust what Otis thinks and what he does, and I back it. If you back each other, something good comes from it.” The rising indie stars return to Splendour, this time to hit the main stage.