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.
To
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know a couple girls like you
But they don′t do it like you do
I hope we can go round two
'Cause you know I wanna do it again
I know a couple girls like you
I hope we can go round two
'Cause you know I wanna do it again, yeah
Being away from her
It makes me hurt
It makes me sad
I'll try to find another way
To make it work
I hate to lurk
I′ll never learn
But I hope I learn it sometime soon because
You better watch your mouth
I know everything that you′re all about
I know what to say that will make you cry
But I know we're gonna do it again
I better watch my words
I know what to say that will make you hurt
I know what to say that will make you cry
But I know we′re gonna do it again, oh
I know a couple girls like you
But they don't do it like you do
I hope we can go round two
′Cause you know I wanna do it again
I know a couple girls like you
But they don't do it like you do, yeah
I hope we can go round two
′Cause you know I wanna do it again, yeah
I know a couple girls like you
But they don't do it like you do (no, they don't)
I hope we can go round two (I hope we can)
′Cause you know I wanna do it again (come right in the morning, babe)
I know a couple girls like you (when you′re up in the morning, baby, yeah)
But they don't do it like you do (we can go round two)
I hope we can go round two (oh, no, oh, no)
′Cause you know I wanna do it again
The lyrics to The Neighbourhood's song "To" capture a desire for a deep connection with someone, specifically expressed through a physical and intimate relationship. The singer acknowledges that there may be other girls similar to the subject of the song, but they don't compare to her. The repetition of wanting to go for a second round implies a strong attraction and a desire for the encounter to be repeated.
However, there is also a sense of longing and frustration in the lyrics. The singer confesses that being separated from the person they desire causes pain and sadness. They express a willingness to find a way to make it work, despite the struggles and mistakes they may make along the way. The lyrics suggest that there is a complex dynamic between the two individuals, as they both have the power to hurt each other with their words, yet they predict that they will keep coming back to each other despite this.
Line by Line Meaning
On some mixtape shit, like
In a poetic and expressive manner
I know a couple girls like you
I have encountered similar girls to you
But they don’t do it like you do
However, you possess a unique way of doing things
I hope we can go round two
I desire another chance or encounter
'Cause you know I wanna do it again
Because I genuinely want to experience it once more
Being away from her
Being separated from her presence
It makes me hurt
It causes me emotional pain
It makes me sad
It invokes feelings of sadness
I'll try to find another way
I will make an effort to discover an alternative approach
To make it work
To establish a successful connection or relationship
I hate to lurk
I dislike hiding or observing secretly
I'll never learn
I might never fully comprehend or grasp the situation
But I hope I learn it sometime soon because
However, I hold the expectation of understanding it in the near future
You better watch your mouth
You should choose your words carefully
I know everything that you're all about
I am fully aware of your true nature and characteristics
I know what to say that will make you cry
I am knowledgeable about the words that can cause you emotional distress
But I know we're gonna do it again
However, I am aware that we will repeat the experience
I better watch my words
I should be cautious with my choice of language
I know what to say that will make you hurt
I am aware of the words that can cause you pain
I know what to say that will make you cry
I understand the phrases that can make you shed tears
But I know we're gonna do it again, oh
However, I am positive that we will repeat the experience
I know a couple girls like you
I have come across similar girls to you
But they don't do it like you do
However, they don't perform the same way as you
I hope we can go round two
I desire another opportunity or chance
'Cause you know I wanna do it again
Because I genuinely want to experience it once more
I know a couple girls like you
I have encountered similar girls to you
But they don't do it like you do, yeah
However, their approach is distinct from yours
I hope we can go round two
I desire another opportunity or chance
'Cause you know I wanna do it again, yeah
Because I genuinely want to experience it once more
I know a couple girls like you
I have come across similar girls to you
But they don't do it like you do (no, they don't)
However, they lack your unique approach
I hope we can go round two (I hope we can)
I desire another opportunity or chance
'Cause you know I wanna do it again (come right in the morning, babe)
Because I genuinely want to experience it once more (come over early in the morning, darling)
I know a couple girls like you (when you're up in the morning, baby, yeah)
I have encountered similar girls to you (when you are awake in the morning, my dear)
But they don't do it like you do (we can go round two)
However, they don't perform the same way as you (we can have another encounter)
I hope we can go round two (oh, no, oh, no)
I desire another opportunity or chance (oh, no, oh, no)
'Cause you know I wanna do it again
Because I genuinely want to experience it once more
Writer(s): Jesse Rutherford, Zachary Abels, Mike Margott, Jeremy Freedman, Cecil Bernardy, Jonathan Dorr
Contributed by Gabriella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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...