The Neighbourhood is an American band formed in California in 2011. The band, which started as a group of friends having fun, quickly became a major highlight in the alternative indie music scene.
With a distinctive indie rock sound, dark vibes, melancholic rhythms, and a black-and-white aesthetic, the group, which had been on hiatus since 2022, has finally announced its return.
Let’s remember the iconic trajectory of The Neighbourhood that earned the band millions of fans worldwide!
I’m Sorry… and the start of everything
The Neighbourhood, written in British English to represent their uniqueness, began as a project between friends. The five members – Jesse Rutherford (vocals), Zach Abels (guitar), Jeremy Freedman (guitar), Mikey Margott (bass) and Brandon Fried (drums) – were friends, even neighbors, with a shared vision.
They shared a love for music, and each played an instrument, which made forming a band natural. Their friendship allowed them to freely experiment with different styles, compositions and rhythms, ultimately developing their signature sound.
In 2012, they made their first official release: “Female Robbery”. Shortly after, they released their first EP I’m Sorry…, which included songs like “Female Robbery”, “Wires” and the iconic “Sweater Weather”, which would soon change the course of the band’s career.
During this period, The Neighbourhood’s iconic symbol emerged: the upside-down house. It’s a constant presence in the band’s visual identity and represents contrast, estrangement, and instability.
Sweater Weather: The Big Debut
In April 2013, The Neighbourhood released their first album I Love You., a record that deepened the moody atmosphere they had been shaping since the beginning. The lyrics were introspective and leaned toward intimacy and melancholy. Along with this sound, the band reinforced their visual identity, with minimalism and black-and-white imagery becoming one with the emotions their music evoked.
The album’s genre consists of indie rock and contains songs such as “Afraid”, “Alleyways”, “Flawless” and, their most successful hit to this day, “Sweater Weather”.
Even though it was already included on the previously released EP, it was in I Love You. that the song broke through and gained fame. In June 2013, just a few months after the album’s release, the song reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart.
The deep, intimate lyrics about desire in a relationship, along with the catchy, powerful beat, have impacted listeners since its release, but that didn’t stop in 2013: in 2020, the song experienced a viral resurgence on TikTok. Today, the track has over four billion streams on Spotify and 916 million views on YouTube.
Between eras and “Wiped Out!”
In 2014, The Neighbourhood released #000000 & #FFFFFF, an album with a different aesthetic than their previous albums: an alternative indie rock sound mixed with hip hop. It included songs like “Lurk” and “Unfair” and features some collaborations, such as “When I Get Back (feat. G-Eazy)” and “#icanteven (feat. French Montana)”. It was around this time that former drummer Bryan Sammis left the band, and Brandon Fried joined as their current drummer.
The Neighbourhood released their new album, Wiped Out!, in 2015, starting a new phase for the group. While the concept remained dark and obscure, the sound became more melodic. The release features songs like “Prey”, “Cry Baby”, “The Beach” and “Daddy Issues“, which became one of the band’s most popular tracks, with nearly two billion streams on Spotify. The songs deal with nostalgia, youth, mortality, love and loneliness.
Hard to Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing… but maybe not that hard
In 2018, The Neighbourhood released an album that made it clear to the public that the band doesn’t need to be stuck in just one concept: Hard to Imagine The Neighbourhood Ever Changing showed that they are capable of exploring different rhythms and aesthetics without losing their essence.
The album brings a different atmosphere from the melancholic and somber sound we had experienced up until that point. They brought new sounds, with elements of R&B and electronic music, and even the album cover itself stands out from the rest: it’s no longer black and white; now it’s in colors and it has a photo of the band members.
Therefore, the title can be understood as ironic, since the songs prove that the band can change a lot; but despite everything, the most important thing will never change: they will always sound like The Neighbourhood.
Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones and the hiatus
In 2020, The Neighbourhood reinvented themselves again with the release of Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones, with an experimental, melodic pop sound, notable in songs like “Pretty Boy” and “Cherry Flavoured”, and new visuals. Lead singer Jesse Rutherford adopted the alter ego Chip Chrome, where he painted himself silver. This persona represented his struggles with his own identity and dealing with pressure.
The band announced a hiatus in 2022, after the end of promotion for this album. The group’s future was uncertain, causing insecurity among fans who had followed The Neighbourhood’s releases for so many years. Even with the uncertainty, they managed to maintain their popularity.
After years, The Neighbourhood is coming back!
In August 2025, The Neighbourhood announced via Instagram that they had been meeting since 2024 to work on new music, and that this time away from the media was necessary to deal with Brandon Fried’s substance abuse problem.
The statement ends with a thank you to everyone who “kept the music alive while they were away,” and that they are honored to start a new chapter as a band.
With that, The Neighbourhood leaves fans wondering what to expect from the band’s new release. Are you excited for it?
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The article above was edited by Maria Alice Primo.
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