Good Neighbours officially released their debut album ‘Blue Sky Mentality’ on 3rd October, and it did not disappoint!

You can watch our interview with Good Neighbours from Leeds Festival 2025 here:

In a time where it feels as though the world is as uncertain as ever, the need for a form of healthy escapism is something we could all benefit from. Nothing provides better comfort than a vibrant, indie album categorised by a nostalgic, summery sound and accompanied by a retro aesthetic. Although in your current reality the leaves in Hyde Park have turned brown, and a cool Autumn wind brings a breeze across your ears as you walk to your lecture, listen to Blue Sky mentality and suddenly you’re sat in a field with your mates a cold glass of beer in hand, and ‘good vibes’ all around.

Good Neighbours (also known as Oli Fox and Scott Verill) met working in neighbouring studios in East London and a friendship blossomed when they discovered they shared the same music taste and desire to replicate the indie music scene they grew up loving, in their own sound.

A snippet of their debut single ‘Home’ blew up on TikTok originally and was finally released on 17^th January 2024. ‘Home’ now sits at over 400,000 streams on Spotify and is of course featured on the new album.

On the Name ‘Blue Sky Mentality’ Scott stated that it represents a ‘positive outlook’ and the pair’s desire to create ‘happy’ and ‘uplifting’ music, and that its ‘a good motto to go by’- something we could all aim to keep in mind, especially when deadlines and exams begin to creep closer!

The album kicks off with ‘Keep it Up’, an upbeat, easy-going tune which implements lyrics such as “you’ll be okay” and “just get up” to remind the listener to maintain a ‘Blue Sky Mentality’ even when things get tough.

One of my favourites is ‘found u/me’ which was released as a single the night before the boys performed at Leeds Festival 2025. Fleur, and Alfie, and I listened and filmed a live reaction to the single in our tent as we were so excited to see them live on stage the next day.

My personal favourite would have to be ‘Suburbs’, which was released in July. I feel as though the lyrics heavily resonate with the experience of being a student and I love the beat. ‘Suburbs’ is the perfect tune to blast out of your headphones on a mental health walk as you reflect on your university experience so far and remember just how far you’ve come.

The penultimate and closing tracks on the album, ‘Wonderful Life’ and ‘The Buzz’ provide a wholesome and heartfelt ending to the album which leaves the listener feeling comforted, nostalgic, and ready to re-listen again and again.