The band released their first EP, I'm Sorry... in January 2013, where their single Sweater Weather reached #1 in the U.S. Alternative Tracks and #8 on the U.S. Rock Tracks and #33 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also charted at #68 in Canada. Their first album, I Love You. was released on April 23, 2013.
In early 2012 a mysterious band appeared online. The group, The Neighbourhood, revealed no biographical information, no photos and no backstory, offering only a moody track titled "Female Robbery." Fans and the press were confounded, scouring the Internet for any information that might lead them to the identity of these musicians. Pieces of the puzzle, some reflecting reality and some not so much, began to emerge. The Neighbourhood were a quintet. They were from California despite the British spelling of their name. They had a second track, "Sweater Weather," which had an accompanying -- and equally dark -- video.
Although The Neighbourhood's identity remained hazy, it became clear that the music they were making felt transformative to critics and fans alike. The evocative combination of rock instruments with R&B and hip-hop aesthetics seemed, in many ways, revelatory, a reimagining of sounds that seemed to make people clamour for more information with even greater fervour. In April, BBC Radio One DJ Zane Lowe, an early champion of the group, let it slip that The Neighbourhood was the handiwork of musician Jesse Rutherford, a resident of Newbury Park, CA. By early May, as the band unveiled a free, self-released EP titled "I'm Sorry," it became understood that the identity of this young band was, ultimately, secondary to the music itself.
So who is The Neighbourhood? In essence, the group, which was formed in August 2011, is a collection of five friends who make music together. They're headed by Rutherford, a 21-year-old singer who has dabbled in various genres, including hip-hop, before crafting the merge of sounds that categorizes The Neighbourhood's style. Their debut EP was produced by Justyn Pilbrow, who brought Emile Haynie on board to collaborate on "Female Robbery." The EP, recorded at the end of last year, is composed of shadowy, emotional music with visuals to match. And it's all part of the band's master plan.
"I always have a strong vision before I go into anything," Rutherford says. "I don't know how to make music any other way. It was all in my head, and that vision for the music was to make hip-hop beats with guitars and I was going to sing and rap over them. We wanted to do that hip-hop aesthetic on an indie platform."
"I'm Sorry," a five-song disc, is a precursor to the band's debut album, which is also being produced by Pilbrow and Haynie. The album, expected out in March 2013, will expand the group's moody sensibility, which pairs brooding layers of instrumentals with Rutherford's hip-hop-inspired croon. The style, which the band has dubbed "black and white" due to its confident inspirations, is based largely on rhythm, as evidenced by the EP. "When I started in music I started doing drums and then I started doing vocals," Rutherford explains. "And then I combined the two together because to me rapping is just rhythmic vocals. I think the rhythm of hip-hop is really what got me into it. It's not just words being said; it's about how the words are said."
In the end, all you need to know about The Neighbourhood is in that music and in those words. There are more facts, more pieces of the puzzle, more information to unveil. But what's the fun in being given the full picture when you can slowly discover it for yourself? It's better to leave some mystery lingering. Because, after all, it's that unknowing that brought The Neighbourhood to people's attention to begin with.
Single
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I still got a crush, that's obvious
If nobody's around, what's stopping us?
Everywhere I go you show, whatever
I don't ever mind sharing oxygen
I just wanna get lost in your lungs
Just a baby, but she's growing up so fast
She's just a baby girl
And I love to watch her dance
But it's making me go crazy
Aah, aah, aah, yeah
I don't think that we should be around each other
When you're in the room, you get my eyes
You open your mouth, I'm hypnotized, oh oh
I can make you laugh until you cry
You know you got all my attention
You know you got all mine, mmh
Baby, I can't help but call her dad
Even though I shouldn't say it
She was my baby girl
I might never get her back
But I don't mind being patient, yeah
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be mine?
Okay, I'm just gonna tell you what I gotta say, right here
I'm sorry Dave, I never meant to hurt your baby girl
She's your little baby, she's my soulmate
I don't want you to worry, she'll be so safe right here
Oh, oh, oh, so Dave, would you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you let your baby be mine?
Oh, your baby she's mine
The lyrics of the song "Single" by The Neighbourhood [WIPED OUT!] are about a complicated relationship between two people who are passionately attracted to each other, but are unsure if they should act on their feelings. The singer talks about having a crush on someone and being unable to resist them when they are in the same room. He is drawn to her and is hypnotized by her presence. Despite knowing he should not be with her, he cannot help himself. He loves the way she dances, but it is slowly driving him crazy. He begs the other person to let their baby be his girl, implying that he wants to become romantically involved with her.
The lyrics reveal a sense of conflict, temptation, and longing. The song explores the complexities of relationships, attraction, and temptation. It highlights the idea that sometimes we can be drawn to people who we know we should stay away from. The singer is aware of how inappropriate his feelings are, but he cannot help his attraction towards the other person. The lyrics are touching and thought-provoking, making it a great song to listen to if you are going through a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if we should be alone together
I have doubts about being alone with you
I still got a crush, that's obvious
It's clear that I have feelings for you
If nobody's around, what's stopping us?
There's nothing preventing us from being together when no one's watching
Everywhere I go you show, whatever
You're always on my mind and I can't help but think about you
I don't ever mind sharing oxygen
I don't mind being close to you and sharing the same air
I just wanna get lost in your lungs
I want to be so close to you that it's like I'm a part of you
Just a baby, but she's growing up so fast
She's still young, but she's maturing quickly
And I'm allergic to the waiting
I can't stand waiting for her to grow up and be mine
She's just a baby girl
She's still young and innocent
And I love to watch her dance
I enjoy watching her grow and develop as a person
But it's making me go crazy
It's difficult for me to wait for her to be old enough
I don't think that we should be around each other
I believe it's best for us not to be together
When you're in the room, you get my eyes
I can't help but focus on you when you're around
You open your mouth, I'm hypnotized, oh oh
Your words are powerful and captivating to me
I can make you laugh until you cry
I have a talent for making you happy and bringing you joy
You know you got all my attention
I am solely focused on you and give you all my attention
You know you got all mine, mmh
You have all of my affection and love
Baby, I can't help but call her dad
I see her as a daughter figure, even though she's not mine
Even though I shouldn't say it
I know it's not appropriate for me to feel this way
She was my baby girl
I have a deep emotional connection to her
I might never get her back
I may not have the chance to be with her in the way I desire
But I don't mind being patient, yeah
I'm willing to wait for her to be ready, whenever that may be
Can you let your baby be my girl?
Can you allow me to be with her and love her?
Okay, I'm just gonna tell you what I gotta say, right here
I'm going to say what's on my mind, right now
I'm sorry Dave, I never meant to hurt your baby girl
I apologize to her father for any pain I may have caused
She's your little baby, she's my soulmate
She's his daughter, but I feel a deep emotional connection to her
I don't want you to worry, she'll be so safe right here
I want to reassure him that I will take care of her and keep her safe
Oh, oh, oh, so Dave, would you let your baby be my girl?
I'm asking for his permission to be with his daughter
Oh, your baby she's mine
I feel like she's already mine emotionally, even though we're not together
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON FRIED, JEREMY FREEDMAN, JESSE RUTHERFORD, MIKE MARGOTT, ZACHARY ABELS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chloe Naughton
on West Coast
I don't know if I'm right or not, but I feel like when they sing "If the sun was God, I'd be covered in faith, If the ocean was the Devil, I'd be covered in hate", it means more than he's got a tan and swims in the ocean a lot. But I can't put my finger on what it could mean...