# Ep. 241: Jesse Rutherford (The Neighbourhood) | How an Unlikely Band Became Inevitable

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/and-the-writer-is-with-ross-golan-221813/ep-241-jesse-rutherford-the-neighbourhood-how-an-unlikely-band-became-inevitable
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/and-the-writer-is-with-ross-golan-221813/ep-241-jesse-rutherford-the-neighbourhood-how-an-unlikely-band-became-inevitable.md
Podcast: [And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan](https://stenobird.com/podcast/and-the-writer-is-with-ross-golan-221813)
Published: 2026-03-03T20:58:54+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/andthewriteris/episodes/ep-241-jesse-rutherford-the-neighbourhood-how-an-unlikely-ba
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/andthewriteris/e/69a74b90edee504921cadcd7/media.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/and-the-writer-is-with-ross-golan-221813/episodes/ep-241-jesse-rutherford-the-neighbourhood-how-an-unlikely-band-became-inevitable
Duration seconds: 6004

## Resource

Today’s guest is the frontman of one of the most defining bands of the 2010s — a songwriter whose voice helped shape an era of alternative pop that still echoes today. Before arenas. Before permanence. Before “Sweater Weather” became cultural shorthand. Now, after over a decade of hits, reinvention, and evolution, he looks back on the long arc of The Neighbourhood with clarity — and with honesty about what success did and didn’t solve. And The Writer Is… Jesse Rutherford of The Neighbourhood! In this episode of And The Writer Is…, Jesse opens up about: • Growing up in the industry before he understood it • The unlikely formation and endurance of The Neighbourhood • His journey through childhood acting, getting discovered, + losing his dad on the brink of success • The advice he’d give himself before it worked • And much more… Hit subscribe and turn on notifications. Every week, we go deep with the most interesting creatives in music. Follow us on socials: @andthewriteris A special thank you to our sponsors… Our lead sponsor, NMPA — the National Music Publishing Association. Your support means the world to us. And @splice — the best sample library on the market. Period. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 2:09 I Never Wanted To Be Alternative 4:02 Why Thousand Oaks Produces Massive Bands 7:39 Becoming a Child Actor at 6 8:35 “My Self-Worth Is Tied to Entertaining” 9:55 Discovered in a Movie Theater at 5 14:16 Reconnecting With His Dad Before He Passed 17:28 Success Without the Fame He Expected 27:10 High School Metalcore Bands 33:17 How The Neighbourhood Formed 36:06 The First Riff of “Sweater Weather” 40:00 Getting Discovered Online by Their Manager 44:23 His Manager’s Warning… 47:20 Writing the Lyrics to “Sweater Weather” 48:42 Pop Writing Rules 55:23 Learning to Let Go of Instant V…

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## Transcript

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