By: Allison Ambuehl

The Neighbourhood is an incredibly popular band with over 40 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and their most streamed song ‘Sweater Weather’ has a little over 2.1 billion streams! To put these numbers into perspective, Mozart, the child prodigy who revolutionized western music in the 1700s, only has 7.6 million monthly streams on Spotify.
Part of the reason The Neighbourhood is so popular is due to their eccentric combination of hip-hop beats with indie rock guitars to create pop music with a unique “dark” twist to their music. They are especially beloved by the younger generation, and although their fanbase is a diverse group, they are predominantly females ages ranging between 13–25.

Behind their success in the music industry is the individual band members who made it happen. First, we have their vocalist Jesse Rutherford, then the guitarists Zachery Abels and Jeremiah Freedman, the bassist Micheal Margott, and finally we have the original drummer Bryan Sammis, who Brandon Fried later replaced.
All the members considered themselves to be co-founders of the band, as most of them met through the local music scene in Newbury Park, California and bonded because of it. Eventually, the group decided to merge their talents to create the iconic sound we recognize them by today.

They started out recording in Bryan Samis’s parents’ garage and then released their first singles such as Sweater Weather and Female Robbery in 2012. Then, in 2013 they started recording through Columbia records and released their first album titled I Love You in April. The album was almost an immediate success, and peaked at #14 on the billboard 100 chart, while also including two double platinum hit singles.
Although it was a commercial success, some critics claimed it was ‘too dreary’ and the album had a mixed response from the public. Despite the mixed critical reception of their early work, The Neighbourhood proved that audience connection can outweigh initial skepticism.

Their ability to blend genres and create a distinct emotional atmosphere has allowed them to remain relevant in an ever-changing music industry. Songs like Sweater Weather continue to resonate with listeners years after their release, solidifying their place in modern pop culture.
They have released more albums and singles since then, while still following their unique style of music, and are currently on a completely sold-out world tour. Ultimately, their success highlights how authenticity and innovation can capture a generation’s attention, showing that even unconventional sounds can leave a lasting and powerful impact.

Photo credits: Merchbar