AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The musician Oli Fox knows how hard it is to see someone you love in pain and not be able to help.
OLI FOX: My friend from home, we grew up together since we were, like, children, and he had lost his dad, who was, like, my second dad. And we were in this funny phase of, like, hanging out but not really saying a word.
RASCOE: Oli Fox tried to start a conversation with his friend, Dan (ph), but didn't get far.
FOX: I had asked Dan, like, how he was feeling, and I could see the words, like, almost, like, on his tongue. And then instantly, he'd just bite his tongue and be like, yeah, no, not bad, not bad at all. It's, like, the most heartbreaking thing to see. And it's such a small, like, microemotion to see on someone's face, but when you know them well enough, it's, like, massive. It's like a billboard. You can read it so easily.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIPPLE")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) Where do you want to go? What you want to see? When life cannot deliver, bring it back to me.
RASCOE: Oli Fox is one part of the indie rock duo "Good Neighbours," along with Scott Verrill. The two musicians told NPR that Dan's story, as well as their own early life experiences, inspired their song "Ripple."
FOX: When you are growing up, especially in the smaller towns - this can be anywhere in the U.K. or the U.S. - and it's not very easy to talk about emotions without being sort of made fun of or people not taking you too seriously. I definitely come from, like, a grin-and-bear-it family. And so I found the only way I could fully talk about things without being, like, told off instantly or, like, anyone pushing back on what I said was music.
SCOTT VERRILL: Well, this is Scott. Similar to Oli, I grew up around London. You know, I went to a boys school, and I wasn't in, like, creative circles and such. And then I think being in my 20s and surrounded by so many songwriters and producers that are so open, it's like, something that I'm still learning - and especially from, like, Oli, as well - just about being honest.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIPPLE")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) In the middle of the sea, you'll float. You used to never let your tea run cold. I guess you've never, ever been so low. It's so frustrating.
VERRILL: We kind of got fed up with music sounding really sad. So that was kind of why we wanted to flip it into a different sound but keep the same message.
FOX: We have this sort of, like, blue sky mentality towards everything that we talk about, whether it is grief or whether it's, like, losing someone or breaking up with someone. We always try and frame it in this optimistic light just to sort of open the conversation a bit wider.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIPPLE")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) If ever you're feeling low, Honey, kick your feet 'Cause I can feel the ripples pull you from the strеam.
FOX: So when I was saying, if ever you're feeling low, honey, kick your feet, I can feel the ripples pull you from the stream, that was like, for when Dan felt ready to talk, kick your feet, I'll be able to see it from the - like, the banks of the stream, and then I'll know to come and, like, pull you out of it.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "RIPPLE")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) I can feel the ripples pull you from the stream.
FOX: My friend, Dan - like, he was just sort of bopping along to the song, and I was like, you know, this one's about Harv (ph), which is his dad. And he was like, is it? He's not one to maybe listen to lyrics. And so when he finally listened to them, he was, like, crying on the other end of the phone. He was like, thanks so much. It, like, means the world.
(SOUNDBITE OF GOOD NEIGHBOURS SONG, "KEEP IT UP")
FOX: And at this point, we'd had the conversations that had lifted the weight. So it was a real nice, full-circle moment for him to realize that the whole time, me and all his mates were caring about him.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "KEEP IT UP")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) Tried to blame it on the city that I love. I point the finger at the people up above.
FOX: I just want people to feel comfortable talking about things. I definitely think around grief and around the darker emotions - I don't think there's any shame. So just as long as our songs can resonate with someone so much that it inspires them to open the conversation a little bit, I think that would be like - that's our job done, really.
RASCOE: That's Oli Fox and Scott Verrill, the duo behind the band Good Neighbours. They recently released a new album called "Blue Sky Mentality."
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "KEEP IT UP")
GOOD NEIGHBOURS: (Singing) There's Jimmy trying to make his way, counting pennies 'cause the work don't pay. Everybody's got to take the way, so come on, come on, come on, come on, whoo. I tried to blame it on the city that I love. I point the finger at the people up above. But oh, babe, you'll be OK when you get lost in your head some days. So life ain't going your way. Keep it up, it up, it up. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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