Royel Otis (Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic) join us for a special performance and interview with Kevan Kenney from KROQ's Helpful Honda Sound Space in Los Angeles as the Australian Alt-Pop duo gets set to drop their debut studio album, Pratts & Pain, scheduled for release on February 16.

After forming in Sydney in 2019, Royel Otis have three official EP's under their collective belts (2021’s Campus, 2022’s Bar & Grill, and 2023’s Sofa Kings) as they're steadily ramping up anticipation for the release of their full-length debut, Pratts & Pain, in just a few short weeks.

Already on the minds of music fans following the release of their 2023 single “Sofa King,” it was their recent cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor” that has gone nuclear right at the moment. The fan reaction has been “crazy,” they both admit.  “We rehearsed it one day before we started doing it,” says Pavolic. “Yeah, we had about an hour to get it done and then well, that’s what happens,” adds Maddell. They had a few ideas in mind for the session, including the classic, “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

“We were just running through ideas, pretty stressed out,” Royel admits, “ and then someone was like, ‘just try ‘Murder on the Dance Floor,’ and we were like, ‘give it a crack,’ and then it worked out.”

Flipping the script, if the guys could pick a contemporary artist to cover their single }Sofa King,” Maddell chooses fellow Aussies DMA'S... “I reckon they'll do it, however expanding the pool of artists to those who have already passed, Sinéad O'Connor was first to be mentioned.

Discussing their hit single, they explained how it came about as a demo that Royel had, being good friends with the DMA’S guys who were starting to take off. “I was like, ‘I'm gonna take advantage of my friends, capitalize on it,’ and I was like, ‘Try to write a song that I thought would suit them. And then I was like, ‘no, it's better for me.’ Then Otis and I started doing music, and I was like, ‘it's actually better for Otis.’

Royel Otis is currently on the road in New Zealand and Australia, with plans to hit North American cities beginning in April supported by Girl and Girl. 

Listen to Kevan Kenney's full interview with Royel Otis above -- and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy. 

Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Kevan Kenney

Royel Otis (Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic) join us for a special performance and interview with Kevan Kenney from KROQ's Helpful Honda Sound Space in Los Angeles as the Australian Alt-Pop duo gets set to drop their debut studio album, Pratts &amp; Pain, scheduled for release on February 16.
After forming in Sydney in 2019, Royel Otis have three official EP's under their collective belts (2021’s Campus, 2022’s Bar &amp; Grill, and 2023’s Sofa Kings) as they're steadily ramping up anticipation for the release of their full-length debut, Pratts &amp; Pain, in just a few short weeks.
Already on the minds of music fans following the release of their 2023 single “Sofa King,” it was their recent cover of “Murder on the Dance Floor” that has gone nuclear right at the moment. The fan reaction has been “crazy,” they both admit.  “We rehearsed it one day before we started doing it,” says Pavolic. “Yeah, we had about an hour to get it done and then well, that’s what happens,” adds Maddell. They had a few ideas in mind for the session, including the classic, “Build Me Up Buttercup.”
“We were just running through ideas, pretty stressed out,” Royel admits, “ and then someone was like, ‘just try ‘Murder on the Dance Floor,’ and we were like, ‘give it a crack,’ and then it worked out.”
Flipping the script, if the guys could pick a contemporary artist to cover their single }Sofa King,” Maddell chooses fellow Aussies DMA'S... “I reckon they'll do it, however expanding the pool of artists to those who have already passed, Sinéad O'Connor was first to be mentioned.
Discussing their hit single, they explained how it came about as a demo that Royel had, being good friends with the DMA’S guys who were starting to take off. “I was like, ‘I'm gonna take advantage of my friends, capitalize on it,’ and I was like, ‘Try to write a song that I thought would suit them. And then I was like, ‘no, it's better for me.’ Then Otis and I started doing music, and I was like, ‘it's actually better for Otis.’
Royel Otis is currently on the road in New Zealand and Australia, with plans to hit North American cities beginning in April supported by Girl and Girl. 
Listen to Kevan Kenney's full interview with Royel Otis above -- and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy. 
Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Kevan Kenney

Listen to the world's biggest artists in conversation with KROQ hosts, recorded live every month in the DTS Sound Space at KROQ! Past guests include Jack White, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, Cold War Kids, Yungblud, Bring Me The Horizon, Dashboard Confessional, and more.

Listen to the world's biggest artists in conversation with KROQ hosts, recorded live every month in the DTS Sound Space at KROQ! Past guests include Jack White, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, Cold War Kids, Yungblud, Bring Me The Horizon, Dashboard Confessional, and more.

KROQ Sound Space Artist Interviews

Royel Otis

311 joined host Nicole Alvarez for a special interview and performance recorded live at the Helpful Honda Sound Space at KROQ in Los Angeles giving fans a preview of what the band has in store on their upcoming Unity Tour.

“You can't spell community without unity… So we keep a spirit of love and we have to be ready to communicate openly,” frontman Nick Hexum says of the group's longevity. “We're very grateful to get to do this,” he adds now approaching 34 years as a band. “We know we're very lucky. We keep an attitude of gratitude and just appreciate these wonderful fans.”

Getting into the band’s brand new single “You're Gonna Get It,” Hexum explains, “For my portion of the lyrics, putting myself in the mindset that we had back in like 1990… just when you're young and dumb, and feeling indestructible. For example, when we would play trashcan bowling with Chad's Buick Monte Carlo and crash into trash cans. Just stuff like that.”

311 will be touring this summer beginning on July 20 in Cincinnati, OH with AWOLNATION and Neon Trees as opening support. Tickets and VIP Meet & Greet packages are available now. Take a look at the full list of scheduled dates below.

311 2024 Tour Dates:

July 20 l Cincinnati, OH
July 21 l Chicago, IL
July 23 l Indianapolis, IN
July 24 l Huber Heights, OH
July 26 l Interlochen, MI
July 27 l Sterling Heights, MI
July 28 l Cleveland, OH
July 31 l Niagara Falls, ON
August 2 l Scranton, PA
August 3 l Bridgeport, CT
August 4 l Columbia, MD
August 6 l Gilford, NH
August 7 l Boston, MA
August 9 l Outer Banks, NC
August 10 l Raleigh, NC
August 11 l Charlotte, NC
August 13 l North Charleston, SC
August 14 l Atlanta, GA
August 15 l Albertville, AL
August 17 l St. Augustine, FL
August 18 l Tampa, FL
August 20 l Houston, TX
August 21 l Austin, TX
August 22 l Grand Prairie, TX
August 24 l Phoenix, AZ
August 25 l San Diego, CA
August 27 l Costa Mesa, CA
August 29 l Bend, OR
August 30 l Troutdale, OR
August 31 l Redmond, WA

Listen to Nicole's full interview with 311 above and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.

Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Nicole Alvarez

311 joined host Nicole Alvarez for a special interview and performance recorded live at the Helpful Honda Sound Space at KROQ in Los Angeles giving fans a preview of what the band has in store on their upcoming Unity Tour.
“You can't spell community without unity… So we keep a spirit of love and we have to be ready to communicate openly,” frontman Nick Hexum says of the group's longevity. “We're very grateful to get to do this,” he adds now approaching 34 years as a band. “We know we're very lucky. We keep an attitude of gratitude and just appreciate these wonderful fans.”
Getting into the band’s brand new single “You're Gonna Get It,” Hexum explains, “For my portion of the lyrics, putting myself in the mindset that we had back in like 1990… just when you're young and dumb, and feeling indestructible. For example, when we would play trashcan bowling with Chad's Buick Monte Carlo and crash into trash cans. Just stuff like that.”
311 will be touring this summer beginning on July 20 in Cincinnati, OH with AWOLNATION and Neon Trees as opening support. <a href="https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ9171GyV/311-events">Tickets</a> and <a href="https://311.com/pages/tour">VIP Meet &amp; Greet packages</a> are available now. Take a look at the full list of scheduled dates below.
311 2024 Tour Dates:
July 20 l Cincinnati, OH July 21 l Chicago, IL July 23 l Indianapolis, IN July 24 l Huber Heights, OH July 26 l Interlochen, MI July 27 l Sterling Heights, MI July 28 l Cleveland, OH July 31 l Niagara Falls, ON August 2 l Scranton, PA August 3 l Bridgeport, CT August 4 l Columbia, MD August 6 l Gilford, NH August 7 l Boston, MA August 9 l Outer Banks, NC August 10 l Raleigh, NC August 11 l Charlotte, NC August 13 l North Charleston, SC August 14 l Atlanta, GA August 15 l Albertville, AL August 17 l St. Augustine, FL August 18 l Tampa, FL August 20 l Houston, TX August 21 l Austin, TX August 22 l Grand Prairie, TX August 24 l Phoenix, AZ August 25 l San Diego, CA August 27 l Costa Mesa, CA August 29 l Bend, OR August 30 l Troutdale, OR August 31 l Redmond, WA
Listen to Nicole's full interview with 311 above and stay tuned for more conversations with your favorite artists right here on Audacy.
Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Nicole Alvarez

Check out a special interview with Cage The Elephant, recorded live at the Helpful Honda Sound Space at KROQ in Los Angeles.

Before taking to the stage for a blistering set, Cage The Elephant sat down for an interview with hosts Klein and Ally to discuss the release of their brand-new offering, Neon Pill -- the band’s sixth studio album and first collection of original songs since 2019’s Social Cues.

Talking about the album’s lead title single which arrived earlier this year, Matt and Brad opened up about including the very personal track on the project. “I mean, it was undeniably part of my life and part of the story of this past five years,” Matt expressed. “I was prescribed a medication and unknowingly slipped into psychosis and it was terrifying and terrible.”

He continued, “And I think while we were writing some of the songs before I was even ready to deal with that stuff to confront it full on, I was already kind of working it out internally and that was one of the first songs that was written. And so it felt like the right move to make that the title track, you know, I mean, it's a miracle that I got through all of that stuff. And here today, very, very thankful.”

Answering Klein’s curiosity on whether they think Neon Pill “is the best album to date,” the duo agreed that they don’t look at it that way, but rather, “it’s a record that kind of embodies all of the different kind of phases that we've gone through.”

“There's a great Paul McCartney quote and he said, ‘you can't beat your previous work, you can just move in a different direction.’" Matt added.

Catch Cage The Elephant on tour with Young the Giant and Bakar this summer as they make stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, NYC, and more -- including a few festivals thrown in for good measure, such as Bonnaroo and Oceans Calling. Tickets are on sale now -- take a look at their full itinerary below.

Cage The Elephant 2024 Neon Pill tour dates:
June 20 – West Valley City, UT at Utah First Credit Union Amph.^
June 22 – Seattle, WA at Climate Pledge Arena^
June 23 – Ridgefield, WA at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater^
June 24 – Bend, OR at Hayden Homes Amphitheater^
June 26 – Vancouver, BC at Rogers Arena^
June 28 – Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place^
June 30 – Spokane, WA at BECU Live at Northern Quest^
July 2 – San Francisco, CA at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium*
July 3 – Santa Barbara, CA at Santa Barbara Bowl^~
July 5 – Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre^
July 6 – San Diego, CA at Viejas Arena^
July 7 – Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum^
July 9 – Albuquerque, NM at Isleta Amphitheater^
July 11 – Austin, TX at Moody Center^
July 12 – Houston, TX at The CWM Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
July 13 – Fort Worth, TX at Dickies Arena^
July 15 – Rogers, AR at Walmart AMP^
Aug 2 – Alpharetta, GA at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
Aug 3 – Raleigh, NC at Coastal CU Music Park at Walnut Creek^
Aug 4 – Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion*
Aug 7 – Noblesville, IN at Ruoff Music Center^
Aug 8 – Madison, WI at Breese Stevens Field^
Aug 10 – Winnipeg, MB at Canada Life Centre^
Aug 12 – Minneapolis, MN at Target Center^
Aug 14 – Chicago, IL at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC^
Aug 16 – Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena^
Aug 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY at Broadview Stage at SPAC^
Aug 19 – Bridgeport, CT at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater^
Aug 21 – Gilford, NH at BankNH Pavilion^
Aug 22 – Mansfield, MA at Xfinity Center*
Aug 24 – Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Arts Center^
Aug 26 – Montreal, QC at Centre Bell^
Aug 27 – Toronto, ON at Budweiser Stage^
Aug 29 – Burgettstown, PA at The Pavilion at Star Lake^
Aug 30 – Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center^
Sept 5 – New York, NY at Madison Square Garden^
Sept 6 – Philadelphia, PA at TD Pavilion at the Mann^
Sept 7 – Lewiston, NY at Artpark Mainstage Theater^
Sept 9 – Cleveland, OH at Blossom Music Center^
Sept 10 – Detroit, MI at Pine Knob Music Theatre^
Sept 12 – St. Louis, MO at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre^
Sept 13 – Des Moines, IA at Wells Fargo Arena^
Sept 14 – Kansas City, MO at Starlight Theatre^
Sept 16 – Omaha, NE at CHI Health Center Omaha^
Sept 18 – Denver, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
^ with Young The Giant and Bakar
* with Bakar
~ Non-Live Nation Date

Words by Joe Cingrana and Maia Kedem Interview by Klein and Ally

Check out a special interview with Cage The Elephant, recorded live at the Helpful Honda Sound Space at KROQ in Los Angeles.
Before taking to the stage for a blistering set, Cage The Elephant sat down for an interview with hosts Klein and Ally to discuss the release of their brand-new offering, Neon Pill -- the band’s sixth studio album and first collection of original songs since 2019’s Social Cues.
Talking about the album’s lead title single which arrived earlier this year, Matt and Brad opened up about including the very personal track on the project. “I mean, it was undeniably part of my life and part of the story of this past five years,” Matt expressed. “I was prescribed a medication and unknowingly slipped into psychosis and it was terrifying and terrible.”
He continued, “And I think while we were writing some of the songs before I was even ready to deal with that stuff to confront it full on, I was already kind of working it out internally and that was one of the first songs that was written. And so it felt like the right move to make that the title track, you know, I mean, it's a miracle that I got through all of that stuff. And here today, very, very thankful.”
Answering Klein’s curiosity on whether they think Neon Pill “is the best album to date,” the duo agreed that they don’t look at it that way, but rather, “it’s a record that kind of embodies all of the different kind of phases that we've gone through.”
“There's a great Paul McCartney quote and he said, ‘you can't beat your previous work, you can just move in a different direction.’" Matt added.
Catch Cage The Elephant on tour with Young the Giant and Bakar this summer as they make stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, NYC, and more -- including a few festivals thrown in for good measure, such as Bonnaroo and Oceans Calling. <a href="https://www.livenation.com/artist/K8vZ917G1zf/cage-the-elephant-events">Tickets</a> are on sale now -- take a look at their full itinerary below.
Cage The Elephant 2024 Neon Pill tour dates: June 20 – West Valley City, UT at Utah First Credit Union Amph.^ June 22 – Seattle, WA at Climate Pledge Arena^ June 23 – Ridgefield, WA at RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater^ June 24 – Bend, OR at Hayden Homes Amphitheater^ June 26 – Vancouver, BC at Rogers Arena^ June 28 – Edmonton, AB at Rogers Place^ June 30 – Spokane, WA at BECU Live at Northern Quest^ July 2 – San Francisco, CA at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium* July 3 – Santa Barbara, CA at Santa Barbara Bowl^~ July 5 – Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre^ July 6 – San Diego, CA at Viejas Arena^ July 7 – Los Angeles, CA at Kia Forum^ July 9 – Albuquerque, NM at Isleta Amphitheater^ July 11 – Austin, TX at Moody Center^ July 12 – Houston, TX at The CWM Pavilion presented by Huntsman^ July 13 – Fort Worth, TX at Dickies Arena^ July 15 – Rogers, AR at Walmart AMP^ Aug 2 – Alpharetta, GA at Ameris Bank Amphitheatre* Aug 3 – Raleigh, NC at Coastal CU Music Park at Walnut Creek^ Aug 4 – Charlotte, NC at PNC Music Pavilion* Aug 7 – Noblesville, IN at Ruoff Music Center^ Aug 8 – Madison, WI at Breese Stevens Field^ Aug 10 – Winnipeg, MB at Canada Life Centre^ Aug 12 – Minneapolis, MN at Target Center^ Aug 14 – Chicago, IL at Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC^ Aug 16 – Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena^ Aug 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY at Broadview Stage at SPAC^ Aug 19 – Bridgeport, CT at Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater^ Aug 21 – Gilford, NH at BankNH Pavilion^ Aug 22 – Mansfield, MA at Xfinity Center* Aug 24 – Holmdel, NJ at PNC Bank Arts Center^ Aug 26 – Montreal, QC at Centre Bell^ Aug 27 – Toronto, ON at Budweiser Stage^ Aug 29 – Burgettstown, PA at The Pavilion at Star Lake^ Aug 30 – Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center^ Sept 5 – New York, NY at Madison Square Garden^ Sept 6 – Philadelphia, PA at TD Pavilion at the Mann^ Sept 7 – Lewiston, NY at Artpark Mainstage Theater^ Sept 9 – Cleveland, OH at Blossom Music Center^ Sept 10 – Detroit, MI at Pine Knob Music Theatre^ Sept 12 – St. Louis, MO at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre^ Sept 13 – Des Moines, IA at Wells Fargo Arena^ Sept 14 – Kansas City, MO at Starlight Theatre^ Sept 16 – Omaha, NE at CHI Health Center Omaha^ Sept 18 – Denver, CO at Red Rocks Amphitheatre* ^ with Young The Giant and Bakar * with Bakar ~ Non-Live Nation Date
Words by Joe Cingrana and Maia Kedem Interview by Klein and Ally

Cage The Elephant

Joining host Kevan Kenney at KROQ in Los Angeles -- what could be considered their second home at this point -- Ryan Clapham, Michelle Joy, and Paul Davis of Cannons took over the Helpful Honda Sound Space for an intimate performance and interview just as their 2019 single “Fire For Fou” reached Platinum status.

“It's really exciting,” Michelle says of the news. “It was kind of a funny story, right?” adds Ryan, “because we didn't really know at first.” Michelle explains, “We didn't know for a little while, but it was really exciting. I mean, ‘Fire For You’ changed our lives and just makes us really happy to know that the fire keeps on burning.”

Keeping true to the sonic and aesthetic universe the band has created, they recently dropped their moody music video for their new single, “Sweeter.” 

“We like to make mood boards for everything,” Michelle says, “and I feel like, for every music video we'll discuss what kind of visuals we're into at the moment, what movies we're watching, what kind of colors, what kind of things we feel represent Cannons and tie those into the music, the visuals and just try and create a world that does feel cohesive and that makes us feel like it's a nice escape that's beautiful and fun to enter.”

Cannons are currently on tour with U.S. dates scheduled for this summer and fall. Don't miss Kevan Kenney's full interview with Cannons above, and stay tuned for even more action from the Sound Space right here on Audacy.

Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Kevan Kenney

Joining host Kevan Kenney at KROQ in Los Angeles -- what could be considered their second home at this point -- Ryan Clapham, Michelle Joy, and Paul Davis of Cannons took over the Helpful Honda Sound Space for an intimate performance and interview just as their 2019 single “Fire For Fou” reached Platinum status.
“It's really exciting,” Michelle says of the news. “It was kind of a funny story, right?” adds Ryan, “because we didn't really know at first.” Michelle explains, “We didn't know for a little while, but it was really exciting. I mean, ‘Fire For You’ changed our lives and just makes us really happy to know that the fire keeps on burning.”
Keeping true to the sonic and aesthetic universe the band has created, they recently dropped their moody music video for their new single, “Sweeter.” 
“We like to make mood boards for everything,” Michelle says, “and I feel like, for every music video we'll discuss what kind of visuals we're into at the moment, what movies we're watching, what kind of colors, what kind of things we feel represent Cannons and tie those into the music, the visuals and just try and create a world that does feel cohesive and that makes us feel like it's a nice escape that's beautiful and fun to enter.”
Cannons are currently on tour with U.S. dates scheduled for this summer and fall. Don't miss Kevan Kenney's full interview with Cannons above, and stay tuned for even more action from the Sound Space right here on Audacy.
Words by Joe Cingrana Interview by Kevan Kenney

Royel Otis

KROQ Sound Space Artist Interviews

In 1 playlist(s)

KROQ Sound Space Artist Interviews

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips