# The Neighbourhood
**The Neighbourhood** is an American alternative rock band formed in Newbury Park, California, in 2011, known for a moody, genre-blending sound that mixes alternative rock with R&B and hip-hop elements, and for the 2013 hit single "Sweater Weather"[1](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/) • [2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026). The band adopted the British spelling of its name to distinguish itself from a similarly named group[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-love-you/635016635), and built its early identity around a strict black-and-white visual motif and the vowel-less typeface "THE NBHD"[4](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-neighbourhood-the-neighbourhood/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2011, Newbury Park, California[1](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/) |
| Original lineup | Jesse Rutherford (vocals), Jeremy Freedman (guitar), Zach Abels (guitar), Mikey Margott (bass), Bryan Sammis (drums)[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/09/new-band-neighbourhood) |
| Breakthrough | Debut album *I Love You.* (2013, Columbia Records), double Platinum, featuring "Sweater Weather," which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative chart[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026) |
| Chart peak | *I Love You.* reached number 25 on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Top Alternative Albums chart[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553) |
| Albums | *I Love You.* (2013), *Wiped Out!* (2015), *The Neighbourhood* (2018), *Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones* (2020), *(((((ultraSOUND))))) (2025)[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026) |
| Hiatus and return | Indefinite hiatus announced November 2021; returned with *(((((ultraSOUND))))) on November 14, 2025, on Warner Records[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553) • [2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026) |
| Certifications | Five multi-Platinum, six Platinum, and eight Gold certified singles, plus two additional Platinum albums[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026) |
## Formation and early years
The band formed in 2011 in Newbury Park, California, with the original lineup of [Jesse Rutherford](https://www.edgepedia.org/jesse-rutherford) on vocals, Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels on guitars, Mikey Margott on bass, and Bryan Sammis on drums[1](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/09/new-band-neighbourhood). Early press coverage centered on the 21-year-old Rutherford, whose love of hip-hop and pop and insistence on monochromatic imagery, including dressing the band in black and white for photos and promos, defined the group's presentation from the start[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/09/new-band-neighbourhood).
The band released its first EP, *I'm Sorry…*, in 2012, followed by two more EPs in 2013, before signing with [Columbia Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-records)[7](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/97b8d224-5660-419c-8dff-4b3bf0c33983) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553). The name's British spelling was a deliberate choice to separate the band from a similarly named group[3](https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-love-you/635016635).
## Breakthrough: I Love You. and "Sweater Weather"
The full-length debut *I Love You.* arrived in 2013 on Columbia Records and went double Platinum[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026). Its lead single, "Sweater Weather," reached No. 1 on Billboard's Alternative chart and became the song that defined the band's career trajectory[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026) • [1](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/). The album peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 and number five on the Top Alternative Albums chart, buoyed by "Sweater Weather" and the single "Afraid"[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553).
Critics noted the band's blend of styles. The Guardian compared Rutherford's clipped vocal delivery to [Adam Levine](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-levine) rather than the [Thom Yorke](https://www.edgepedia.org/thom-yorke) comparisons the band sought, and described the group as "Coldplay if they were keen to be urban"[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/09/new-band-neighbourhood). Pitchfork later characterized the debut as mixing "chillwaved R&B, cloud rap, and major-label indie rock"[4](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-neighbourhood-the-neighbourhood/).
## Evolving sound, 2014–2020
Rather than repeating the debut's formula, the band moved toward R&B and hip-hop. It followed *I Love You.* with the trap-inspired mixtape *#000000 & #FFFFFF* (2014), featuring cameos from YG and [French Montana](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-montana)[8](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-neighbourhood/219350813). The sophomore album *Wiped Out!* followed in 2015, anchored by the single "R.I.P. 2 My Youth" and the song "Daddy Issues"[8](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-neighbourhood/219350813) • [7](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/97b8d224-5660-419c-8dff-4b3bf0c33983).
The self-titled third album, *The Neighbourhood*, arrived in 2018, anchored by the single "Scary Love" and drawing on 1980s new wave and R&B influences[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553) • [9](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-neighbourhood-mw0003153697). In the same period the band released the EPs *Hard*, *To Imagine*, and *Ever Changing*, which were later compiled with the album into the 2018 collection *Hard to Imagine the Neighbourhood Ever Changing*[7](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/97b8d224-5660-419c-8dff-4b3bf0c33983). The Los Angeles Times reported that the band described each release as an independent project, with drummer Brandon Fried explaining the album title by saying, "We wanted to build a sentence and then 'The Neighbourhood' landed on the album"[10](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/coachella/la-et-ms-the-neighbourhood-coachella-20180417-story.html).
*Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones*, the band's fourth studio album, followed in 2020[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026).
## Hiatus and return
In November 2021, the [Neighbourhood](https://www.edgepedia.org/neighbourhood) went on indefinite hiatus, citing personal issues and life changes outside the band[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553). During the hiatus, the band cut ties with drummer Brandon Fried in late 2022 after groping accusations from [María Zardoya](https://www.edgepedia.org/maria-zardoya), vocalist of [The Marías](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-marias); NME later reported that Fried was back in the line-up, with the band stating they were "proud of" him for "the changes he has made"[11](https://www.nme.com/artists/the-neighbourhood).
The band announced its return in 2025. The album *(((((ultraSOUND))))) was released on November 14, 2025, on [Warner Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/warner-records), recorded first at Conway Studios in Los Angeles with longtime collaborator Justyn Pilbrow and finished at The Beehive in [Van Nuys](https://www.edgepedia.org/van-nuys) with Jono Dorr producing[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026). Advance tracks "Private," "OMG," and "Lovebomb" were described by UPROXX as a "powerful return to the band's roots"[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026). To support the album, the band announced THE WOURLD TOUR, beginning March 28, 2026, in [Austin, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/austin-texas), and running through North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, with shows at Madison Square Garden, The O2 in London, and a hometown finale at The Kia Forum in Los Angeles on October 9, 2026[2](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026).
## The second life of "Sweater Weather"
"Sweater Weather" outgrew its original 2013 chart run through social media. A boom in popularity on TikTok arrived around the middle to late 2020, and by the time NME traced the song's history, over two million videos had been created using it[12](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/sweater-weather?comp-lh978p1n_page=1) • [13](https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/nme-explains-the-neighbourhood-sweater-weather-2953508). The song's continued presence on streaming, social media, and film and television soundtracks has kept the band recognizable to audiences who have never bought a full album[1](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/).
On TikTok the song also acquired a community meaning its writers did not plan: posting videos with the song became a way for users to signal that they were bisexual, and the usage turned from an inside joke into genuine cultural shorthand[14](https://www.distractify.com/p/sweater-weather-tiktok-meaning) • [15](https://routenote.com/radar/what-does-the-neighbourhoods-sweater-weather-mean-and-why-did-it-become-a-bisexual-anthem/). A separate 2022 trend, the "Sweater Weather" TikTok dance set to a sped-up version of the song, went viral from August 2022 onward[16](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sweater-weather-tiktok-dance).
## References
1. [The Neighbourhood — Alternative Rock Band History, Rock Atlas](https://www.rock-atlas.com/charts/bands/the-neighbourhood/)
2. [The Neighbourhood Announce Global THE WOURLD TOUR Kicking Off In 2026, Live Nation Entertainment](https://news.livenationentertainment.com/news/the-neighbourhood-announce-global-the-wourld-tour-kicking-off-in-2026)
3. [I Love You. — Album by The Neighbourhood, Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/i-love-you/635016635)
4. [The Neighbourhood: The Neighbourhood Album Review, Pitchfork (Ian Cohen, 2018)](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-neighbourhood-the-neighbourhood/)
5. [The Neighbourhood (No 1,392), The Guardian (Paul Lester, 2012)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/09/new-band-neighbourhood)
6. [The Neighbourhood — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0002690553)
7. [The Neighbourhood, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/97b8d224-5660-419c-8dff-4b3bf0c33983)
8. [The Neighbourhood, Apple Music artist page](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-neighbourhood/219350813)
9. [The Neighbourhood — Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic album page](https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-neighbourhood-mw0003153697)
10. [The Neighbourhood on identity, Coachella and bouncing back from bad reviews, Los Angeles Times (2018)](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/coachella/la-et-ms-the-neighbourhood-coachella-20180417-story.html)
11. [The Neighbourhood, NME artist page](https://www.nme.com/artists/the-neighbourhood)
12. [Sweater Weather — Song Meaning and Lyrics, SongContext](https://www.songcontext.com/songs/sweater-weather?comp-lh978p1n_page=1)
13. [NME Explains: How The Neighbourhood wrote 'Sweater Weather', NME](https://www.nme.com/features/music-features/nme-explains-the-neighbourhood-sweater-weather-2953508)
14. [The "Sweater Weather" TikTok Meaning and Its History, Distractify](https://www.distractify.com/p/sweater-weather-tiktok-meaning)
15. [What Does The Neighbourhood's "Sweater Weather" Mean — and Why Did It Become a Bisexual Anthem?, RouteNote](https://routenote.com/radar/what-does-the-neighbourhoods-sweater-weather-mean-and-why-did-it-become-a-bisexual-anthem/)
16. ["Sweater Weather" TikTok Dance, Know Your Meme](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sweater-weather-tiktok-dance)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Rock, indie, and pop groups › Indie and alternative bands › Indie pop bands › American indie and alternative bands › 2010s and later bands*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license