Good Neighbours talk viral hit 'Home', touring with Benson Boone, and what comes next for DIY's Class Of 2025 • Neu • DIY Magazine

“We’ve never been through it [before], so there’s no answer for it. Even when we look to our left and right at our peers in London, they’ve not been through it either. It just doesn’t happen that much,” begins Oli Fox, one half of Good Neighbours. “We feel very lucky, but at the same time we are absolutely knackered…”

It’s little surprise that Fox and bandmate Scott Verill are feeling the onset of exhaustion – and not just because they’ve spent the past half hour leaping in the air on space hoppers for today’s photoshoot. Clocking up one of the biggest viral hits of the year in ‘Home’ (322 million Spotify streams and counting), before releasing their self-titled debut EP in October and heading out on tour in support of global superstar Benson Boone, it’s been a whirlwind year for the pair to say the least.

Though Oli and Scott only joined forces in 2023, both musicians had been slogging it out on the circuit for many years before. South London-born Scott began his career in childhood band The Theory of 6 Degrees, becoming one of the youngest groups to perform at Glastonbury when he had only just hit his teens before moving onto a succession of solo guises. Similarly, Colchester-born Oli had been rising through the ranks with his own solo work, touring with artists such as Sigrid along the way.

Coming together, however, something immediately clicked. Good Neighbours might be an overnight success story, but the men behind it have spent a long time putting in the hours. “We’ve gone through the same thing as we’ve both been artists before and then turned writers. Then we’ve had this song that’s almost like, fallen in our lap that has had that effect and gone worldwide,” says Oli. “Even if you do try to prepare yourself, nothing can quite prepare you for it.”

“The second it becomes something that people can put their finger on, it feels suffocating.”

— Oli Fox

‘Home’ contains a special full-circle moment for Oli in particular, as the track samples Damon Albarn’s iconic Omnichord OM-108, which he used to make Gorillaz’ classic hit ‘Clint Eastwood.’ Growing up in Colchester, the musician went to the same sixth form as Albarn and was inspired by the images of Blur performing in the common room. It was a surreal moment, then, when Good Neighbors were allowed access to their idol’s instruments in the studio.

“Whenever I was doing my music tech, I had [photos of Blur] on the wall as an inspiration. What he’s gone on to do is sick, he’s definitely someone we take inspiration from creatively,” says Oli. “I don’t think he’s ever been pinned into a genre and we are keen to keep that going for us. The second it becomes something that people can put their finger on, it feels suffocating.”

Part of this versatility was spawned from both members’ stints penning music for other people: a section of their careers that also inadvertently led to Good Neighbours’ own joyous sound. Becoming “bogged down” by some of the “sombre” projects that they were working on, the duo would collaborate on making “the most audacious thing we can write, that isn’t too deep.” That idea became their manifesto and ultimately their secret to success; its spontaneity providing a level of freedom that both artists had lost over the years, and rekindling a child-like innocence in making music.

The project, too, became a reaction to the self-serious music populating London’s alternative scene at the time. “We got bogged down by all the music that was so self-deprecating,” says Scott. “There was a period about five years ago where it was really introverted, Americanised and full of self-loathing – which we love! – but at the right time. There was a gap to make yourself feel good that we wanted to fill.”

Good Neighbours are undeniably a serotonin-boost for the ears, but their music isn’t just a “big thumbs up”. “Songs like ‘Home’ have an introspective nature to them as they come from a deep place, but the way we put them across is light-hearted,” suggests Oli. “We were quite intent on having open conversations, especially with a lot of our age group who are now starting therapy for the first time. It’s nice to be able to paint those problems on quite a big scale so they feel like it’s quite accessible.”

“We know what we’re good at, which is creating a party atmosphere.”

— Oli Fox

The day we speak, Good Neighbours are winding up a UK tour with American singer-songwriter Benson Boone with the second of two nights at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The duo recall that the ‘Beautiful Things’ singer was one of the first big celebrities to reach out about the success of ‘Home’ and subsequently invited them on the run; winning his fans over has been the result, they explain, of projecting total confidence and approaching the support slots like the old football adage, “give them no respect”.

“We go out with the impression that we are here to own the venue,” grins Oli. “We’ve led with confidence on every single show. We know what we are good at, which is creating a party atmosphere. If you go there a little bit meek and too gracious to be there you can be ignored, but our music is in your face.”

When an artist has a huge breakthrough single so early on in their career, it can be difficult to navigate that success and avoid becoming a one-hit wonder. Good Neighbours had this experience following the success of ‘Home’, but have been steadily laying the groundwork to ensure that the momentum continues. “This year has been a case of putting a face to a name and trying to catch up with our song that is running away from us,” says Oli. “It now feels like the message has been heard by a lot of crowds around the world and I think now everyone’s waiting for us to inform them on what the next step is, which we feel really confident about.”

With plans for their debut album in place, plus a North American support tour with Foster the People lined up to kick off 2025, Good Neighbours are intent on spreading their positive vibes across the globe.

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