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.
Warm
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm never satisfied
It's never good enough
I always seem to find the right,
Formula for putting up, yeah
I tried to love you, baby
I tried to satisfy you, honey
But you wouldn't stay, you wouldn't stay
I'm like a clover and rye
You hang it out on me
If I really want to find someone else,
I'll find some company
Hey-yeah
I'm in a hurry out, wouldn't worry about a little hiccup
Why can't you see?
Why can't you see, that I am sick of it all
I tried to love you, baby
In every way, in every way
I tried to satisfy you, honey
But you wouldn't stay, you wouldn't stay
I tried to love you, baby
In every way, in every way
I tried to satisfy you, honey
But you wouldn't stay, you wouldn't stay
(I knew it was wrong, but I thought about you still)
Girl, I do not know
Where you're running to
I'm your finish, line,
I'm the one for you
If you do me wrong,
If I'm cruel to you,
You're a fool for me,
I'm a fool for you
Shawty been talking about her new options,
But options do not mean that they're competition
The master key perfectly fits your ignition
Forever under the greatest possession
You are not foreign at all to this sentence
Hopefully this is the first time you did this shit
Rooms full of naked and caucasian women
Rooms full of naked and caucasian women
The Neighbourhood's song "Warm" is a complex exploration of a failing relationship, with a sense of frustration and desperation conveyed through its lyrics. The song is about a man who cannot get his ex-girlfriend out of his head and who has tried every way possible to make her happy, but she wouldn't stay. The lyrics express his desire to move on with his life and find someone else, but he can't seem to let go of the past.
The lyrics "You need to get off my mind...I'm never satisfied, It's never good enough" showcase how the singer is struggling to let go of his ex-girlfriend and move on from the past. He is never satisfied with any new relationships he has and can't help but compare them to what he had with his ex-girlfriend.
The lines "If I really want to find someone else, I'll find some company" show that the singer is not going to stay hung up on his ex-girlfriend forever. He's willing to move on if he needs to and doesn't want to be defined by his past relationship.
Overall, "Warm" is a poignant reflection of the challenges of moving on from a past relationship and trying to find happiness again. The lyrics express frustration, desperation, and a desire to move forward, making it a relatable and moving song for anyone who has struggled with similar feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
You need to get off my mind...
I can't stop thinking about you and I need to move on.
I'm never satisfied
I'm always seeking more and can't settle for what I have.
It's never good enough
No matter what I achieve, it never feels like it's enough.
I always seem to find the right, Formula for putting up, yeah
I've become an expert at putting on a façade and hiding my true feelings.
I tried to love you, baby In every way, in every way I tried to satisfy you, honey But you wouldn't stay, you wouldn't stay
I did everything I could to make our relationship work, but you still left me.
I'm like a clover and rye You hang it out on me If I really want to find someone else, I'll find some company Hey-yeah
You're treating me like a piece of clothing that you can discard whenever you want. If I want to move on, I'll find someone else.
I'm in a hurry out, wouldn't worry about a little hiccup Why can't you see? Why can't you see, that I am sick of it all
I'm ready to move on and don't care about any obstacles. I wish you could see how fed up I am.
(I knew it was wrong, but I thought about you still)
I knew I shouldn't be thinking about you, but I couldn't help it.
Girl, I do not know Where you're running to I'm your finish, line, I'm the one for you
I don't know where you're going, but I believe I'm the one you're meant to end up with.
If you do me wrong, If I'm cruel to you, You're a fool for me, I'm a fool for you
Even if we hurt each other, we're both willing to forgive and stay with each other.
Shawty been talking about her new options, But options do not mean that they're competition The master key perfectly fits your ignition Forever under the greatest possession You are not foreign at all to this sentence Hopefully this is the first time you did this shit Rooms full of naked and caucasian women Rooms full of naked and caucasian women
There may be other people vying for your affection, but they're not serious challengers. You're the one I want and I love you. We've been together a long time, and hopefully you haven't cheated with countless other women.
Writer(s): JESSE RUTHERFORD, RAURY TULLIS, ZACHARY ABELS, MIKE MARGOTT, JEREMY FREEDMAN
Contributed by Luke G. 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...