[The Neighbourhood]'s music hasn’t fallen out of favor with fans and casual listeners alike, so, what are they up to now? Is there even a possibility of new music?
By Sofia Giarrusso, Staff Writer
REMEMBER THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?
The Neighbourhood was an essential force in the alternative music scene throughout the 2010s. From mainstream success with their evergreen hit “Sweater Weather” to online cult classics like “Daddy Issues” and “Softcore,” the California band was inescapable for any fan of rock, indie, R&B, or pop. The Neighbourhood is best known for their distinct dark sound due to genre-blending, often melancholic lyricism, and lead singer Jesse Rutherford’s mellow vocals. This style navigated the band’s fingerprint, evident among their four popular studio LPs and eight EPs.
The Neighbourhood maintains 42 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of July 2024–making them the 69th most popular artist on the platform globally. And, chances are that the band remains on a playlist of yours, has come up in semi-recent conversation, or you’ve liked a TikTok with a song of theirs scoring it. Obviously, their music hasn’t fallen out of favor with fans and casual listeners alike, so, what are they up to now? Is there even a possibility of new music?
CHIP CHROME & THE HIATUS
Their latest album Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones was released in September 2020 to less chart success than usual for the band. However, the album was neither a critical nor commercial flop, though with fairly positive reviews across the board and a gold RIAA certification for the single, “Stargazing.” An only semi-popular release usually wouldn't warrant a split or lost contact from a band.
But come February 2022, the Neighbourhood announced an indefinite hiatus via Instagram with the reasoning centered on their “own health and well-being.” Now, over two years into the present, the band has yet to return. Their Instagram remains wiped (rather, “Wiped Out!”) and there has been little to no reassurance that the Neighbourhood will ever return.
JESSE RUTHERFORD’S MANY ENDEAVORS
Frontman Jesse Rutherford is no stranger to the limelight. While being the face of the Neighbourhood throughout their decade-long run, he also maintained a solo career that saw him tapping into more R&B influences, releasing two studio albums in 2017 and 2019, respectively. Post hiatus announcement, Rutherford was signed to Atlantic Records in March 2023 where he released his third solo album in August 2023, &ONE. Rutherford is slated for a short U.S. tour later this summer, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
On top of his solo project, Jesse Rutherford is the main vocalist of a new hardcore band, Valley Girl. He has also recently been in the public eye for dating Billie Eilish in late 2022/early 2023.
THE REST OF THE BAND
The remainder of the Neighbourhood’s whereabouts are more of a mystery. Drummer Brandon Fried was officially kicked out amid the hiatus in late 2022 due to sexual assault allegations from María Zardoya, lead singer of the Marías. No announcement of a possible drummer replacement has been made. Founding members of the Neighbourhood, guitarists Jeremy Freedman and Zach Abels, and bassist Mikey Margott, have been radio silent online since Brandon was fired from the band.
The state of the band lingers in an odd grey area, fueled by both hope and dismay. But for now, fans of the Neighbourhood are left with an impressively dense catalog produced in less than ten years.
