Mixing moody, ’90s-style alt-rock with hip-hop and electronic flourishes, California’s the Neighbourhood broke through with their debut single, “Sweater Weather.” The track, which was included on the group’s 2012 I’m Sorry… EP, first gained momentum online before hitting number one on Billboard’s alternative chart and going platinum. The band has continued to explore a similarly atmospheric, cross-pollinated blend of sounds, even digging into synth-heavy pop on 2018’s The Neighbourhood.
Formed in Los Angeles in 2011, the band centers around lead singer Jesse James Rutherford, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, bassist Michael Margott, and drummer Brandon Fried. In 2012, the Neighbourhood released the EP I’m Sorry…, featuring such singles as “Sweater Weather” and “Female Robbery.” The songs gained considerable attention online and helped build interest in the group. By 2013, “Sweater Weather” had topped the Billboard Alternative chart and solidified the group’s buzzworthy status.