News The Neighbourhood: ‘We’ve Always Had A Clear Cut Goal’

“I really don’t know what to do with all this… what’s this tool for?” guitarist Jeremy Freedman asks us earnestly, holding up a tea strainer. Fresh from a transatlantic plane ride, we’ve whisked The Neighbourhood off for spot of Great British Afternoon Tea, and if they’d rather have a beer – which, given they’re almost all underage in their home country, it’s highly plausible that they might – they’re miles too sweet to say so.

The Californian boys have returned for the second time in only a few months, to showcase their own brand of pop-noir (imagine a band fronted by a male Lana Del Rey and you’re almost there). It was during that previous trip, whilst playing a trendy east London venue, that they had the realisation that things were beginning to happen for them. “That was when it really started to set in for us, like, wow, people actually show up for us…” Zach Abels, the band’s other guitarist, still sounds slightly overawed at their reception, months later.

Of course, prior to that UK outing, we weren’t entirely sure who the band were. Careful control of their image led to them revealing only small nuggets of information about themselves, dripping out images until the band were fully revealed, albeit in black and white. “From day one,” Jesse says, in a determined, confident tone, “We’ve always wanted everything to be black and white, and for the control of that to be in our hands. And it is.” “We feel like, it’s the vibe of the music too,” Bryan quickly agrees. “If it was in colour, the music would sound different.” “Honestly, I might even go so far as saying everything we do, it’ll always be in black and white,” Jesse stipulates.

Having already released debut EP, ‘I’m Sorry’, on which they fuse indie guitar rock with a hint of hip-hop swagger, the next twelve months look set to be insanely busy for The Neighbourhood. For one thing, they tell us, that particular record was only the first in a series of EPs, with another two still to go. And there’s the small matter of the debut album, which is recorded and ready for its March release. With a real sense of purpose, the group tell us that they’re already working on long player number two. “We’re very, very, excited about writing,” Jesse confirms, “It’s just such a cool thing to do.”

Perhaps what marks The Neighbourhood from the rest of the pack is their willingness to admit to their own ambitions and the controls they’ve used to ensure they get noticed. “We’ve always had a clear cut goal of where we want to be,” Jeremy tells us, thoughtfully. “We just want people to respect us, and to be the type of band that we respect.” And if they play it right, well, 2013 looks set to be the year those goals become realised.

Taken from the December 2012 / January 2013 issue of DIY, available now. For more details click here.