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

By: Allison Ambuehl

A talented young artist who attends Sheyenne High School, Allison Ambuehl has stunned her fellow students once again with her newly released collection of drawings! She is so incredibly gifted that when a survey was passed around among students about who is the best artist, she won by a landslide.

I had the chance to interview this blossoming young artist, and here is some of what she had to say. “I have been creating art since childhood; I have been going to drawing & painting classes since I was six after my parent recognized my potential with art. Although I love all forms of art, I specialize in sketching and drawing. Sketches are my favorite things to create, and I believe I’ve really developed an art style that is unique to me and I am proud of.”

Outside of being a teenage prodigy, I asked Allison what she does besides working on her art, and she had a surprisingly humble response, “Hm… honestly, I’m just a normal person, I hangout with friends, go to school, and work.” She later expanded on that and explained that she also volunteers, bakes, and reads.

To conclude our interview, I asked her one final question, why art? What drives you to create? She said, “Art gives me freedom through expression, I can draw whatever I want, when I want. It’s completely up to me.”

By: Allison Ambuehl

Claire Cottrill, famously known as Clairo, is a multitalented indie/alternative music artist who is known for her intimate lyrics and gentle sound. She is a singer who needs no introduction to the younger generation, as she has been incredibly popular on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram for almost a decade. Most people know of Clairo and her music, but how much do we know about Claire Cottrill and how she got to be the artist she is today?

Claire Cottrill was born on August 18^th, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America. Although she was born in Atlanta, Clario and her family then moved to Washington and stayed for three years, but eventually moved to Carlisle, Massachusetts where she spent the rest of her childhood.

Her parents are George and Allie Cottrill, her father is a prominent marketing executive for popular brands such as Starbucks, Coco-Cola, and Converse. Clairo is widely considered a ‘nepo-baby’ due to her father’s industry connections, but part of her brand is being a ‘self-made’ artist, she has addressed these concerns by confirming her father’s support has been helpful towards her career, so it’s up for your interpretation. Clairo describes her upbringing as supportive and constantly having creative outlets throughout her childhood, contributing to her love for making music.

Her exposure to music throughout her childhood led her to start posting her music on social media platforms at age 13, and she released her first official demo in 2014, called ‘Do U Wanna Fall in Love?’ under her real name. Her first viral hit she released was in August 2017, called ‘Pretty Girl’ after graduating from Concord-Carlisle high school. This song was so popular as it was recorded with her raw vocals in her bedroom, which resonated with a lot of viewers because of the raw and acoustic feel. She then went on to attend Syracuse University, while pursuing music full-time.

She continued to release music, growing her already established fanbase and released albums such as ‘Immunity’ in 2019, which included the song ‘Bags’ that won the best song of the year in 2019. She later released ‘Sling’ in 2021 which debuted in the top 20 of the US Billboard 200. Her most recent album titled ‘Charm’, was self-released in 2024 and nominated for a grammy in the Best Alternitive Music Album category. Clario’s success has been widely criticized due to her industry connections, however that doesn’t change the fact that she is a unique artist with a beautiful voice and the ability to connect with her fans.