Introvert/ Extrovert: Royel Otis

The first Introvert/ Extrovert pilot interview I did I was lucky enough to have the humour and good heart of two of Australia’s most adored guitar pop duo - Royel Otis.

Bursting on the scene in 2019, the pair quickly garnered an adoring fan base, known for their sincere lyrics and matching synths that break your heart and put it back together at the same time. I first saw Royel Otis play in a tiny upstairs room of a pub down in Wollongong that held a maximum of about fifty people two years ago. A month later they played an afternoon slot at Splendour In The Grass where it was obvious the tent was simply too small for the mass of people flocking to get a peep. A handful of incredible EPs and a debut album later, these two are on a rise that does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing these two a couple of times now and let me tell you they are both incredibly sweet and totally hilarious, which is why I felt compelled to do something a bit different with them interview wise. As good of a sport as anyone, they obliged. Here is the first Introvert/ Extrovert pilot that turned out to be my favourite interview of all time.

Hey fellas. I actually wanted to do something a bit different with you guys. I actually don't want to ask you about your music as such, but do the Myers Briggs Personality Test instead.

Royel: What is that? What's the Myers-Briggs Personality Test?

Well, you’re about to find out. The actual test has hundreds of questions so I’m probably not going to do that but it’s basically a series of questions that psychologist uses to figure out what kind of human you are... So, I figured if that's cool with you guys, we’re going to find out who you are.  

Royel: That sounds fun. All right.

Okay, I'm going to jump in. So, the first question is, does seeing other people cry make you want to cry too?

Otis: Sometimes. Depends.

Royel: Yeah, is it crying tears of like happiness after they've seen someone come back from like, war or something after ages?

I don't know. It doesn't specify the crying [laughs], it's just like, if you see someone cry, do you cry?

Royel: Because I've seen this video where this baby gets hearing aids for the first time and his mum cries, and then the mum cries and then I get a bit teary, so I guess that’s like a happy cry.

I feel like I cry when it's a happy cry, but if someone's crying when they’re sad, which probably sounds like I’m a fucking asshole - I’m usually like you’ll be right.

Royel Yeah, exactly. Otis and I were talking about that the other day. It's hard for two people to be crying at the same time. One person always decides they're going to be the rock.

That’s it right?

Royel: We’ve broken it. We've broken the code.

Second question. Do you regularly make new friends? Jesus these are pretty intense.

Royel: Not by choice but we have to meet a lot of people. Personally, I'm not a very social person.

See we’re finding things out.

Otis: I found recently I've actually enjoyed putting myself out there and trying to make more friends.

Royel: Have you man? [laughs]

Otis: Yeah.

Do you guys always have a backup plan or prefer to wing it?

Both: Wing it.

Okay, next one. Do you stay calm? Even under a lot of pressure?

Royel: [laughs] that’s a hard no from me.  

Otis: Sometimes, yeah. Depends.

Royel: I feel like if I'm wigging out, you're you've got your shit together.

Someone’s got to carry the team.

Otis: Same thing as the crying thing.

Alright. Do introduce yourself to new people or mostly talk to the ones you'd already know?

Otis: Both, I feel like again, we've kind of forced sometimes to introduce ourselves.

Royel: In Perth, I got woken up in my bed to get introduced to people before a show. I was literally like opening my eyes, sitting up and going ‘hey, nice to meet you.’

That’s just mean.

Royel: Yeah, but they were excited and high.

Ah yes. We've all been there. Do you prefer to completely finish one project before starting another or are you kind of like always starting new stuff?

Otis: Multitasking?

I mean it could be relative to writing songs.

Otis: I tend to get kind of homed in on one thing and then not start things on doing that one thing and then maybe move on from that one thing after like two years.

Royel: I think if I get caught and have a bit of a block…

Otis: That was relationship related by the way [laughs].

Royel: Just had to cover your tracks there [laughs]. But yeah, if I’m stuck I'll try starting something else in hope that it inspires me to finish the last one. Yeah.

I like that. Are you very sentimental?

Royel: Yeah.

Otis: Yeah, I am.

This one is a bit rogue, but do you enjoy watching people argue?

Both: No.

I don’t think anyone really does that’s kind of psycho killer tendencies.

Otis: I know people who do. I mean anyone who watches reality TV.

That is true yeah.

Royel: Yeah. Not that there's anything wrong with reality TV.

Nah not at all, not here to knock anyone.

Royel: Some people watch reality TV. I just eat pizza.

Do you tend to avoid drawing attention to yourself? Hard for you guys because it’s your job.

Otis: Again, forced too. Yes and no. When we’re doing shows and stuff like I'm so happy to say stay at home for months and just chill.

Royel: If I'm in a tight-knit group of friends, and we've had some beers, or we're playing pool, I definitely become a bit of a clown. But not with strangers.

Yeah, fair enough. That’s pretty normal. Do you often end up leaving things to the last possible moment?

Both: Yes.

Do you use organising tools like schedules and lists?

Both: No.

Will a small mistake cause you to doubt your overall abilities?

Royel: Yes.

Otis: Sometimes.

Like even if you say, play the wrong chord in a song are you just done?

Royel: I'm thinking of like big mistakes.

Nah, nah just small.

Royel: Who's to put a measurement on a mistake?

That is profound, wow. I'm not even going delve into that. Are you more inclined to follow your head or your heart?

Both: Heart.

Aw, always.

Otis: Not in a loving way, I'm just a fucking idiot. Not romantic more like I really want to jump off this rocky ledge into that cold water, not knowing how deep it is. My head is going you’re going to break your leg, but my heart is going nah, but I really want to. [All laughing].

Are you a routine person?

Otis: I think when I do have a routine I benefit from it, but I tend not to have one.

Royel: Yeah, I agree.

Do you like books and movies that make you come up with your own interpretation of the ending?

Both: No.

Otis: I don't mind movies that make you think about what the actual meaning behind it was.

Royel: If a movie or a book leaves open page at the end, I'm just like are you fucking kidding me? You had one job to reach a conclusion.

I agree. They just haven’t finished.

Royel: Yeah you're like, I'm stuck on this ending. What do I do? You know what, I’ll let the reader decide.

Do you have to complete your chores before allowing yourself to fully relax? I guess like doing the dishes before bed.

Otis: It’s good if the kitchen is clean before going to bed [laughs].

Do you usually prefer to be around others or on your own?

Otis: A few others, but just close others. Significant others.

Royel: If I'm at a pub and it’s packed, I'd rather sit alone.

Really?

Royel: Yeah.

That's interesting. I like that though. This is a last question. Are you an artistic type of person? Obviously you guys are.

Otis: No.

Royel: Not in the slightest. I'm about crunching numbers. It's all ones and zeros for me.

Well that’s it from me, thank you so much. I feel like I know you guys a lot better.

Royel: That was fun, thank you.

Otis: Thanks Sam!

This article was originally published in the 2023 Splendour Weekender as a part of Monster Children where I am the editor. Photos by me.