ROYEL OTIS RELEASES NEW SINGLE “say something”
THIS IS THE THIRD SINGLE FROM THEIR SOPHOMORE ALBUM hickey, WHICH COMES OUT ON AUGUST 22.
IT PREMIERED ON THE ZANE LOWE SHOW TODAY AND IS ON APPLE MUSIC’S NEW MUSIC DAILY PLAYLIST NOW.
TICKETS TO THE “meet me in the car” tour ARE NOW AVAILABLE WITH FESTIVAL STOPS GALORE.
25 JULY 2025 (TORONTO, ON) — Today, Aussie indie duo Royel Otis share the next taste of their highly anticipated new album hickey, the bittersweet and upbeat “say something,” out now on OURNESS / Capitol Records / Universal Music Canada. Listen HERE and watch the music video HERE. The subtly catchy new single had its first play on The Zane Lowe Show and launched on Apple Music’s New Music Daily playlist, too. Pre-order hickey HERE, and go HERE for tickets to see Royel Otis live.
Cowritten by Royel Otis (Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic) with Billy Walsh (Post Malone, The Weeknd) and producer Omer Fedi (Lil Nas X, The Kid LAROI), “say something” is a wistful, yearning track that rides on a wave of shimmering guitars. As the track drives forward, Otis drifts over the top, pleading for interpersonal resolution: “Sucking all my energy / And even though you wear me out, I’m not gonna let this go / So what do you want from me, what do you need? / Can you say something? Say something / I’m trying to work it out before you leave.”
About “say something,” Royel Otis had this to share: “This is a song about unspoken words.”
“say something” arrives as hickey’s effortlessly infectious lead single “moody” rounds a third week at the top of the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart, which made Royel Otis the first new act this year to nab a Triple A crown. A lilting cut with a sticky hook and easy ’90s slacker groove, “moody” was rightly described by Ones to Watch as “the perfect indie daydream.”
Last month, Royel Otis debuted “car,” which launched as a BBC Radio 1 “Hottest Record” — watch the music video HERE and an acoustic performance live in L.A. HERE. Blunt Magazine called the cut “classic Royel Otis: hazy vocals, understated heartbreak, and that dream-pop glaze they’ve made their calling card,” while FLOOD Magazine featured the band on their digital cover.
Royel Otis have been on a tear through nearly every festival worth attending stateside and abroad since, including rousing sets at Governor’s Ball, Glastonbury and will bring their infectious energy to Fuji Rock festival and Lollapalooza next week as well as Osheaga and Outside Lands coming up.
They’ve been adding dates to their upcoming “meet me in the car” tour, too, which begins August 5 in Seattle before sweeping across North America, dipping into Australia (including a headliner at Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena) in October, and heading to Europe in November. The pair have already sold out major U.S. cities including Austin, Toronto, and New York. Visit https://www.royelotis.com/tour/ for more info, and find Royel Otis’ full tour itinerary below.
Royel Otis live dates + “meet me in the car” tour
(headlining dates in bold)
07/27/25 – Minamiuonuma, Niigata @ Fuji Rock
07/30/25 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall (Lollapalooza Aftershow) * (SOLD OUT)
07/31/25 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/01/25 – St.Charles, IA @ Hinterland Music Festival
08/03/25 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
08/05/25 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre *
08/06/25 – Portland, OR @ PDX Live at Pioneer Courthouse Square *
08/09/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
08/15/25 – Hamburg, Germany @ MS Dockville
08/16/25 – Biddinghuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/17/25 – Hasselt, Flanders @ Pukkelpop 2025
08/23/25 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/24/25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
09/12/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall ^
09/13/25 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Sea.Hear.Now. Festival
09/14/25 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem ^
09/16/25 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz ^
09/17/25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern ^
09/19/25 – Dallas, TX @ The Bomb Factory ^
09/20/25 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s ^ (SOLD OUT)
09/21/25 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s ^
09/27/25 – Dana Point, CA @ Ohana Fest
09/28/25 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre ^
09/30/25 – Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom ^
10/02/25 – St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre ^
10/03/25 – Kansas City, MO @ Grinders KC ^
10/04/25 – Chesterfield, MO @ The Factory ^
10/06/25 – Toronto, ON @ History^ (SOLD OUT)
10/07/25 – Toronto, ON @ History^
10/10/25 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway ^
10/11/25 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 ^ (SOLD OUT)
10/12/25 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 ^
10/17/25 – Melbourne, Australia @ Margaret Court Arena
10/20/25 – Fortitude Valley, Australia @ Fortitude Music Hall (SOLD OUT)
10/21/25 – The Fortitude Music Hall - Brisbane
10/24/25 – Moore Park, Australia @ The Hordern Pavilion (SOLD OUT)
10/25/25 – Hordern Pavilion - Sydney
10/29/25 – Northbridge, WA @ The Ice Cream Factory
11/08/25 – Gdańsk, Poland @ Inside Seaside
11/09/25 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ Poolen +
11/10/25 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Fällan +
11/11/25 – Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum +
11/14/25 – Prague, Czech Republic @ SaSaZu +
11/15/25 – Vienna, Austria @ Gasometer +
11/17/25 – Munich, Germany @ Zenith +
11/18/25 – Berlin, Germany @ Columbiahalle
11/19/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ AFAS Live +
12/01/25 – Paris, France @ L’Olympia +
12/02/25 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Halle 622 +
12/03/25 – Milan, Italy @ Fabrique +
12/05/25 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg @ Rockhal +
12/06/25 – Brussels, Belgium @ Forrest National +
12/08/25 – Cologne, Germany @ Palladium +
*= DANCER opening
^= bby opening
+= Still Blank opening
“Bursting with shimmering guitar lines, vulnerable lyrics, and a deeper embrace of pop craftsmanship, the Australians’ sophomore album is a confident and sonically bold leap forward.” – FLOOD Magazine
“Melting together their penchant for melody with DIY mess-thetics, Royel Otis have sketched out a singular sound.” – CLASH
“An intangible sonic it-factor that many bands these days are hoping to replicate.” – V MAN
“Royel Otis is on one of those runs where you best get on-board, or move clear out the way.” – BILLBOARD
ABOUT ROYEL OTIS:
Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic’s chance meeting feels almost destined. They were both working at bars and cafes in the same neighborhood (the beachside town of Bondi) before getting together one day in 2019 with their guitars and some song sketches. And without any expectations, they soon spotted it: an unspoken chemistry that resulted in effortless rock wonders, new tunes that somehow seemed as if they’d always existed. The rest of the world would soon follow suit when the pair became true breakout acts both online and in rock clubs alike with early charmers such as “Oysters in My Pocket” (Bar & Grill EP, 2022) and “Sofa King” (Going Kokomo EP, 2023). Then came their soaring debut album called PRATTS & PAIN and the legendary run that catapulted the band to indie-rock infamy, globally. The album was named for the south London pub where the pair would pen lyrics between sessions with GRAMMY nominated Dan Carey (Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., Caroline Polachek) and bore hits like “Fried Rice” and “Foam.” Preceding the album’s release in February of 2024, was the pair’s Triple J “Like A Version” recording, taking on Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on The Dancefloor.” The performance became a zeitgeist shaping hit, eventually hitting #1 on Alternative U.S. Radio Chart, #2 on Billboard Alternative Airplay, #5 on Billboard Rock & Alternative and rounding out at the #2 position on Triple J’s Hottest 100 of 2024 charts, earlier this year. Their twilit cover of the Cranberries’ “Linger,” cut for a Sirius XM Session a few months later, led the band to their first Billboard Hot 100 hit and currently has over 220 million global streams. With the demand for live shows at a high, the guys played more than 100 sold out shows the rest of 2024, selling over 100,000 tickets across Australia, U.K, Europe and U.S. This included multiple nights in major cities like New York (Brooklyn Steel), Chicago (Metro & The Salt Shed) and Los Angeles (The Bellweather and Palladium). The pair returned home to Australia later that year as one of the most nominated artists at the 2024 ARIA Awards (Australia’s biggest and prestigious music award shows); and went on to win four awards including “Best Rock Album” and “Best Group.” Since their culmination, Royel Otis have drawn from an endless source of good hooks and spirit — riding on their musical chemistry that exudes into mixes of melody and bittersweet humor. Whether it is an original body of work or taking on their favorite song, the pair have cemented their status as one of the most effortless and endearing indie rock bands to emerge this decade.
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