Sydney duo Royel Otis stake out space for vulnerability on “come on home,” the fifth track on their sophomore album hickey.
Released August 22, the song follows Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic as they process the strange pull of distance from the people who matter most.
Jungle’s J. Lloyd and Lydia Kitto shape the track in ways that feel natural to the band. Kitto layers warm harmonies around Pavlovic’s hazy vocals, giving the song a soft glow that holds both comfort and sadness. Lloyd brings a steady hand to the production.
His background in Jungle’s neo-soul work shows in the way he keeps the arrangement open while still giving it weight.
Guitar lines shimmer across the mix while synths drift in with a touch that recalls early Phoenix. The combination still feels rooted in an Australian mood, bright on the surface with something heavier underneath.
The build remains slow and patient, which creates a pull between the chorus’s plea and the drifting thoughts in the verses.
When Pavlovic sings about midnight drives and goodbyes that refuse to settle, the world of airports, buses, and hotel rooms comes straight into view.
The verses sit in familiar guitar-pop territory and sometimes wander when sharper hooks could land with more force.
That looseness, though, suits the story. Relationships often stretch and sag before they break, and the song follows that shape with honesty.
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Maddell explained that the track came from the feeling of being far from someone and lacking control over where life sends you next. That sense of uncertainty fills the song from the start.
The repeated line “it’s not over” feels like someone trying to push against the drift. The images of sitting by windows, walking through shadows, and sleeping in spare rooms in Los Angeles carry the weight of real moments rather than vague ideas.
Royel Otis spent 2024 and 2025 on the road with more than 100 sold-out shows across continents. That kind of movement leaves marks, and the song catches the tired edges of a life built in transit.
Their rise continued when Vevo named them the top bill on the DSCVR Artists To Watch 2026 list. Success like that brings excitement but also the pressure to keep running.
“come on home” hits hardest when it leans into small, exact details. The Los Angeles spare room, the late-night drive, the confession no one wants to hear all feel pulled from real conversations that spill out after long stretches apart.
The bridge returns to the song’s early images instead of closing the door, which feels true to the story. Some distances stay open even when you ask them not to.
Kitto and Lloyd add depth to the track without pulling it out of shape. Their touch supports the vulnerability at the song’s center and keeps the focus on the human ache that Royel Otis carry through every line.