Brisbane indie-emo-alt rockers Bad Neighbour have been building anticipation for their debut album, Millions, set to drop this Friday, 20 September.
Over the past year, they’ve teased a series of singles, including 20,000 knife fights, In The Car, And The Fleas, Heart Pumps Blood, and The Middle. Together, these tracks have amassed hundreds of thousands of streams, solidifying Bad Neighbour’s reputation as a punk band with a raw, emotional edge and an undeniable emo flair.
Millions is a testament to the band’s evolution, showcasing their ability to craft deeply personal songs that resonate. The album balances unrelenting energy with heartfelt lyricism, wearing its heart on its sleeve. “We’re incredibly excited to share this release with the world,” says vocalist Cooper Riley. “Writing this record was very cathartic for us, and to have something palpable we can share with people is very special.”
Welcoming special guest Darcy Baker to the fold as main support, Bad Neighbour will showcase their latest collection of nostalgic punk rock on October 24 at Hamilton Station Hotel in Newcastle, October 25 at Burdekin Hotel in Sydney, November 2 at Bergy Bandroom in Melbourne and will wrap things up November 15 with an intimate hometown show at Valley Loft in Brisbane.
Before we get to experience them live, Riley sat down with us to take us track-by-track through their debut album, Millions.
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In The Car
This song was a little tale I wrote that never really happened, but it was about adultery and misplaced feelings that we spun into what we thought was a pretty catchy melody. It was inspired a lot by a Pedro the Lion song called Rapture, which lyrically touches on the same topics.
And The Fleas
This is a tough one. It was about doing bad things and having to hold onto the weight of your actions and ultimately the repercussions as well. There are a couple of references to fleas on this album, which personally was a metaphor for things I wish I hadn’t done.
Heart Pumps Blood
This one is a little darker but spun into a more positive melody. I’ve struggled on and off with some sad feelings throughout my life, and this was written during a chaotic time. But I think the general overview was about how I was surrounded by an overwhelming amount of love and support, though sometimes it wasn’t quite enough to stop me from spiralling.
Spills
Funnily enough, this was the first song started for the album and also the last song to be finished. I wrote this when my partner and I were going our separate ways, and it was my little love letter to her. I find it hard to listen to now, but I always loved this song dearly. I never could write the final chorus, and the day before we tracked it, it came to me like a lightbulb. The lyrics flowed out, and it’s actually some of my favourite lyrics I’ve ever written because it was very personal and felt intentional from the heart.
Millions
The title track! The whole album dances around themes of money, life, death, and loss, and I feel this embodies all of the above. I had a lot of friends getting married or having children, but I didn’t feel ready for that at this point in my life. I also think it’s a take on how I didn’t believe money could fix what I thought was wrong in my life. Love and compassion far outweigh financial comfort, but this song addresses the opposite side of that perspective.
Carried
I wrote this shortly after my dog passed away, and it became an embodiment of other things going on at that point. He was a big, beautiful Rottweiler named Vegas, and I remember having to carry him out after he passed, which is how the title and chorus came about. It touches on how love is fleeting and my thoughts on wanting a quiet and domesticated lifestyle with my partner.
20,000 knife fights
This song originally started based on the story of a young man who was sadly stabbed and passed away in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. I somehow managed to twist it to become emotionally relatable to myself. The line “it all happens again for no reason” was about senseless violence that we see too often.
Borrowed Car Moves Cyclist
I’ve struggled on and off in my life with substance abuse, which was the main ethos behind this song. We also wanted to touch on gun violence, something we see far too often in the States. There were a lot of shootings at the time of writing, and it felt like senseless violence without a cause.
Canary
There are many references to God and “the universe” on this album, but this one felt like I was addressing whatever faith I had out of curiosity. I tend to write a lot about “God” in some form, even though I’m not Christian. I like to think I can look for answers when things get turbulent, but more often than not, there aren’t any. This is one of the slower, sadder songs we’ve done, and I love it for that. There’s a lot of reference to marriage and domesticated life. I remember hearing my partner singing outside my window one day, and I smiled fondly as I wrote the lyrics for the chorus.
The Middle
This is a giant emotional mess to close out the album. My grandfather passed away, and my family was in a turbulent time, but his loss managed to bring us all back together, and I was grateful for that. It touches on how we can sometimes bring out the worst in the people we love, which feels painfully counterproductive in a loving relationship but happens often, particularly in my life.
Tickets on sale now via Destroy All Lines.
