The Neighbourhood

Formation and I Love You. (2011–2013)

The Neighbourhood was formed in August 2011 by lead singer Jesse Rutherford, guitarists Zachary Abels and Jeremiah Freedman, bassist Michael Margott and drummer Bryan 'Olivver The Kid' Sammis. The members of The Neighbourhood chose the British spelling of "neighbourhood" on the advice of their manager, in order to distinguish themselves from a band already using the American spelling; which is why their song titles also use the British spelling.

Musical style

The Neighbourhood's musical style has been described as alternative rock, indie rock, and pop rock with elements of electronic, hip hop and R&B.

Sweater Weather

"Sweater Weather" is a song by American alternative band the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow.

It serves as the lead single from their debut studio album, I Love You (2013). "Sweater Weather" reached number one on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart in June 2013, logging 11 non-consecutive weeks at the summit of the chart.

Background and writing

Zach Abels recalled to Radio.com: "One day Jesse was at my house and I was playing guitar. And he said, 'Hey that's pretty cool, let me record that.' And it just so happened to be "Sweater Weather." When we got done writing the song, when it was all said and done we were like 'Okay this is pretty good we should keep writing songs.'"

Music video

There are two music videos for "Sweater Weather". The original video was released on March 28, 2012, but was later set as unlisted. The second music video for "Sweater Weather" was directed by Zack Sekuler and Daniel Iglesias Jr., shot in grayscale to go with their black-and-white theme, released on March 5, 2013.

Reception

In mid-to-late 2020, the song experienced a resurgence in popularity due to it being used on the social media platform TikTok. The song gained over five million on-demand streams on Spotify within the month of November 2020. As of January 3, 2026, the song is the third most streamed on Spotify. In late 2023, for the 35th anniversary of Alternative Airplay, Billboard ranked the song as the 15th-most successful in the chart's history.

Afraid

"Afraid" is a song by American group the Neighbourhood. The song was written by group members Jesse Rutherford, Zach Abels and Jeremy Freedman, and was produced by Justyn Pilbrow and Emile Haynie.

It serves as the second single to their debut studio album, I Love You, which was released on April 19, 2013 via Columbia Records.

Music video

A music video, directed by Ends, was released for the song on October 17, 2013, both in edited and explicit/uncut versions. In the video's premise, lead singer Rutherford was shown in past (teen) and present forms. Rutherford himself was naked throughout much of the video to express his vulnerability and fears, also the eyelids show the different perspectives of everyone in the band, from writing the songs, to playing basketball. The video also incorporated a part of OG Ron C's 'Chopped Not Slopped' remix in the middle of it.

Softcore

"Softcore" is a song by American alternative band the Neighbourhood from their third studio album The Neighbourhood. It was written in 2017 by the band members Jesse Rutherford, Brandon Fried, Jeremiah Freedman, Zachary Abels and Michael Margott with producer Lars Stalfors.

The latter also handled mixing, programming, drum programming and synthesising duties, while Dave Cerminara engineered it at Lankershim in Los Angeles.

Daddy Issues

"Daddy Issues" is a song by American alternative rock band the Neighbourhood. It was released through Columbia Records on May 5, 2016, as the second single from their second studio album, Wiped Out! (2015).

The track was written by band members Jesse Rutherford, Zachary Abels, and Jeremiah Freedman, with production handled by Justyn Pilbrow.

Background and release

The development of "Daddy Issues" occurred during the recording sessions for the Neighbourhood's second studio album, Wiped Out! (2015). Following the global commercial success of their debut album, I Love You., and its lead single "Sweater Weather", the band sought to evolve their sonic identity by incorporating more electronic and R&B elements. The song was written by lead vocalist Jesse Rutherford alongside guitarists Zachary Abels and Jeremiah Freedman. Production was handled by Justyn Pilbrow, who had worked extensively with the band on their previous discography.

Composition

"Daddy Issues" is a mid-tempo track with a duration of four minutes and twenty seconds. According to the sheet music published by Sony/ATV Music Publishing at Musicnotes.com, the song is composed in the key of G♯ minor with a tempo of 85 beats per minute. The vocal range for Jesse Rutherford spans from a low note of F♯3 to a high note of G♯5.

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews from music critics. Many reviewers highlighted "Daddy Issues" as a centerpiece of the Wiped Out! album cycle. Mumford Gilly of The Guardian described the track as a "polished, moody pop" effort that successfully blended urban influences with alternative rock.

Music video

The official music video for "Daddy Issues" was released on May 5, 2016, and was directed by Jack Begert. Filmed entirely in black and white, the visual maintains the monochromatic aesthetic for which the band was known during their early years.