Sydney’s Royel Otis are announcing their forthcoming third EP, Sofa Kings, due for release on March 31 via HOUSE ANXIETY / OURNESS. To celebrate, the duo have shared their newest single and music video, “I Wanna Dance With You” out now. Sofa Kings spans seven tracks of sunny alt-pop, and is a progressive step forward from the infectious melodies and quick-witted songwriting the pair have swiftly become known for over the last couple of years. Produced by Chris Collins and Royel Otis, the EP promises to continue captivating fans with visceral stories atop blissful guitar-fuzzed haze.
Out today, is the EP’s second single “I Wanna Dance With You”. A knees-up indie-pop belter, the track is coloured with twinkling piano runs and shimmering guitar licks. The layered vocals of Otis lead with conviction as the frantic tempo sends overtones of sweetness and yearning into overdrive, ultimately managing to get their significant other on the dancefloor.
Royel Otis say of today’s single: “Gather the courage to tell someone how you feel but muck it up like Frank Spencer on roller skates. Put that image to the banjo scene from Deliverance and you have yourself the recipe for ‘I Wanna Dance With You’. Just play it all off as intentional and you’ll be alright.”
The track arrives with a new music video directed by Kyle Caulfied. Packed with youthful nostalgia, the clip follows a young boy as he nervously prepares for an upcoming dance party.
In October 2022, Royel Otis unveiled Sofa Kings’ first single, “Kool Aid”. The widely beloved track provided a dose of summery perfection that earned both local and international praise among NME, Paper Mag, The FADER, FLOOD Magazine, BBC Radio 1 and Apple Music 1. The song followed the release of the duo’s sophomore EP, Bar ‘N Grill earlier that year. They amassed over 10 million streams, and garnered widespread playlisting support across community radio, US college radio and BBC Radio 6. Capping off a career-high year, the duo have also been named in Matt Wilkinson’s (Apple Music 1) ‘Ones To Watch’ list for 2023, after also featuring in his 2022 ‘Hidden Gems’ list with fan favorite, “Oysters In My Pocket”. Rocketing into 2023, in just ten days they’ve been named one of the NME 100 influential New Year tip-list.
In 2021 the band released their debut EP Campus, which introduced Royel Otis as an Australian act to watch. Following a stint in New York, Royel met Otis after a hazy night out in a Sydney Bar. Otis, fresh out of high school, mustered up the courage to share some of the demos he had been working on in isolation, and an instantaneous creative click soon happened. Fusing Otis’ DIY productions with his own wonky samples he’d gathered during his time in the Big Apple, the two churned out tunes in Royel’s Sydney sunroom, slowly shaping their sound.
From their home studio beginnings honing and tinkering at a sound now so distinctively their own, Royel Otis has evolved to embrace a rapturous live show. Having now also taken their live show to a mass of fans across EU and the UK, they are preparing for plenty more gigs to come in 2023 including their live debut.
Sofa Kings Tracklist:
1. Kool Aid
2. Sofa King
3. I Wanna Dance With You
4. Letter From Roy
5. Going Kokomo
6. Razor Teeth
7. Farewell Warning