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.
West Coast
The Neighbourhood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Old Wild West land
Nosebleeds, palms trees, and tumble weeds rustling
Outside they say it's happy here but it's depressing
To many pretty face catching my attention
So I look at them, remind myself in the smudged glass
That pretty isn't everything, you punk ass
Always hard to see past the surface
But her eyes will disguise dirt on purpose
You listening?
I grew up here under the sun
In grade school I was the odd one out of the bunch
And I don't mean I was the kid to eat bugs for lunch
I was the one who wasn't coming from where their coming from
I speak poetically and never pride my ignorance
But this California shit is rigorous
They say it's happy here, happiness is figurative
I'm happy cause of me doesn't matter where I'm living
If the sun was god I'd be covered in faith
If the ocean was the devil I'd be covered in hate
I'm so west coast, it's a god damn shame (x2)
I'm waking up underneath sheets, naked, still sweating
Slept in late so everybody else is ready
My friend called up he said "Hurry up, Buddy, it's almost sun down already".
So I hopped up
I went and washed up
I ate some pasta then I gave my mom hugs
Then I thought uh it's gonna be a pretty nice night
But pretty isn't everything right?
Golden state mind
I'm taking my time
Plain white shirt and a skinny black tie
My top let down when I get picked up
P.C.H so California
Maybe they were right
Happiness is a warm gun
But before you shoot please warn us
Life is too fun
California will you marry me?
Let god be the sun
And then the ocean they shall bury me
If the sun was god I'd be covered in faith
If the ocean was the devil I'd be covered in hate
I'm so west coast it's a god damn shame (x4)
The song "West Coast" by The Neighbourhood talks about the nostalgia and complex feelings that come with growing up on the west coast of America. The singer talks about how even though it may seem like a happy and beautiful place from the outside, there is a deeper inner turmoil and complexity that he has experienced growing up there. The lyrics "They say it's happy here, happiness is figurative" shows that while people perceive the west coast as a sunny and picturesque land, the reality is that happiness is subjective and there's complexity to their experience. He also talks about the pressure to conform to a certain expectation of beauty on the west coast, with "too many pretty faces catching my attention" and the effort to see past the surface of perfection to find true substance in people, expressed by "her eyes will disguise dirt on purpose."
The singer also brings up the cultural difference and challenges he faced growing up on the west coast, where he was the odd one out among his peers. He speaks poetically and doesn't pride himself on ignorance, but he finds the experience rigorous. The chorus "If the sun was god I'd be covered in faith, if the ocean was the devil I'd be covered in hate" shows his deep feelings for the coast – he loves the sun and nature but acknowledges the hate, complexity and challenge of life on the west coast.
Overall, "West Coast" by The Neighbourhood is a nostalgic reflection on growing up on the west coast, expressing the beauty and complexities that come with that experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm from a different type of left land
I hail from a place that is not your ordinary or typical land.
Old Wild West land
My origin is from the Old Wild West land.
Nosebleeds, palms trees, and tumble weeds rustling
A place with high altitude where palm trees and tumble weeds grow while they rustle in the wind.
Outside they say it's happy here but it's depressing
People claim that this place is cheerful, but in reality, it is gloomy and disheartening.
To many pretty face catching my attention
I am drawn to numerous attractive people that surround me.
So I look at them, remind myself in the smudged glass
Every time I see them, I try to ground myself by looking at my reflection in a cloudy mirror.
That pretty isn't everything, you punk ass
I tell myself that looks aren't everything, and I curse to enforce it.
Always hard to see past the surface
It is always difficult for me to see past someone's exterior.
When it looks so perfect
Despite how smooth everything appears to be.
But her eyes will disguise dirt on purpose
However, this specific person will intentionally hide flaws in their eyes.
You listening?
Are you paying attention to what I'm saying?
I grew up here under the sun
I grew up in this place, where the sun shines constantly.
In grade school I was the odd one out of the bunch
During my primary school years, I was the only one different from my peers.
And I don't mean I was the kid to eat bugs for lunch
I was different in a good way, not like the stereotype of someone who eats insects for lunch.
I was the one who wasn't coming from where their coming from
I was the only one who wasn't from the same place as my classmates.
I speak poetically and never pride my ignorance
I usually express myself artistically and never boast my ineptitude in any subject or discipline.
But this California shit is rigorous
But living in California can become considerably taxing.
They say it's happy here, happiness is figurative
People say this region is happy, but it is an idea that isn't completely true or realistic.
I'm happy cause of me doesn't matter where I'm living
My happiness depends on my well-being, which is independent of my location.
If the sun was god I'd be covered in faith
If the sun was a deity, I would have unwavering belief in it.
If the ocean was the devil I'd be covered in hate
If the ocean represented Satan, I would despise and revile it.
I'm so west coast, it's a god damn shame (x2)
I'm so accustomed to the Western culture that it's a shame.
I'm waking up underneath sheets, naked, still sweating
I'm awakening under my bedcovers, without clothing and still perspiring.
Slept in late so everybody else is ready
Because I overslept, everyone else has already prepared for the day.
My friend called up he said "Hurry up, Buddy, it's almost sun down already".
My friend phoned me and urged me to hurry since it's almost nightfall.
So I hopped up
So, I quickly jumped out of bed.
I went and washed up
I went and washed myself.
I ate some pasta then I gave my mom hugs
I ate some Italian food and then gave my mother an embrace.
Then I thought uh it's gonna be a pretty nice night
I then speculated that the evening would be enjoyable.
But pretty isn't everything right?
Aesthetics don't mean everything, do they?
Golden state mind
A state of mind that is about California's expensive attractions and high standards.
I'm taking my time
I am living life at my own pace.
Plain white shirt and a skinny black tie
I'm wearing a basic white shirt and a narrow black necktie.
My top let down when I get picked up
My vehicle is a convertible so its top opens when someone gives me a ride.
P.C.H so California
Driving on the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
Maybe they were right, happiness is a warm gun
Perhaps they were accurate; happiness is temporary or fleeting.
But before you shoot please warn us
But before you ruin or end our happiness, please give us a warning.
Life is too fun
Life is too thrilling and enjoyable.
California will you marry me?
I want to commemorate my love for California.
Let god be the sun
May God be the source of my happiness.
And then the ocean they shall bury me
When I die, the ocean will be my final resting place.
Contributed by Nicholas T. 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...