“The Neighbourhood” is back in the neighborhood.
After spending four years apart taking care of personal needs, the rock band is currently on tour having reunited last August. A new album was released this past February and the band seems to have put its organizational struggles behind them.
The band had announced its hiatus in February 2022 on Instagram, stating that they needed to focus on their mental health and well-being, following personal struggles with family, controversy, and other issues.
The hiatus was heavily influenced by the removal of Brandon Fried, the band’s drummer, following groping allegations brought by the lead singer of The Marías, Maria Zadoya. After leaving the band, Fried admitted to his actions and apologized for them, stating that his substance and alcohol abuse had played a huge role in his struggles.
During the band’s separation, some of the members, including lead singer Jesse Rutherford, pursued independent projects and focused on personal matters outside of music.
Rutherford released three albums, including “Wanted?” in 2024. This album is mostly about self-reflection and figuring out who Jesse was outside of the band, even focusing on past relationships in some of his songs, such as “Guilty” and “Know Better.” He also released an album named “GARAGEB&,” more specifically about trying to rediscover his love for music and overcoming his addiction to social media.
The band’s revival was hinted at during the split when their Instagram page announced new merch. Someone had managed to screenshot a now-deleted post that was made in late November 2024. The caption read: “tis’ the season” which announced both new merch and a speculated concert date, with the vague tagline, “The Neighbourhood® 2025,” with a picture of the band’s logo sitting atop the moon’s surface,
Fans of “The Neighbourhood” expressed concerns about Fried’s return and optimism that the members who had created their signature song, “Sweater Weather” had chosen to reunite..In a collective statement, the band said that they are “proud of Brandon, the changes he has made and the progress he continues to make in his life.”
On TikTok, the band posted a short video in early 2025 of them tuning and playing their instruments. Many fans had speculated that this post hinted at their return in 2025, with millions of posts being uploaded all over social media, highlighting the band’s reappearance in their captions. Now that the band is back, fans have realized this foreshadowing did not disappoint, and their predictions have now become reality. The band really is back.
