Today’s Song: NYC’s Nicotine Dolls Bang It Out on Cinematic Anthem “Upset the Neighbors”

Nicotine Dolls © 2021
Nicotine Dolls © 2021
A cinematic alt-rock anthem, Nicotine Dolls’ “Upset the Neighbors” soars with feverish energy as the New York band throw caution to the wind in a rush of unapologetic, intimate passion.
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Stream: “Upset the Neighbors” – Nicotine Dolls




Sometimes we fight and the fighting’s overrating, we say, “F*** it! let’s get naked!” So we do…

To really let it all out, you need to let it all out –

And in the case of Nicotine Dolls’ new single, they do just that and a whole lot more. The New York City band explodes back into the indie spotlight on their first original single in ten months, dazzling with the same charismatic glow that’s made them an underground favorite over these past two years. A cinematic alt-rock anthem, “Upset the Neighbors” soars with feverish energy as Nicotine Dolls throw caution to the wind in a rush of unapologetic, intimate passion.

Upset the Neighbors - Nicotine Dolls
Upset the Neighbors – Nicotine Dolls
I don’t remember exactly what you were saying
but I know that you were saying I was wrong

I don’t remember exactly what you were wearing
I know you weren’t wearing it long
Sometimes we fight and the fighting’s overrating
we say, “F*** it! let’s get naked,” so we do

Night after night saying things we’re never meaning
then I end up barely breathing next to you

Independently released November 19, 2021, “Upset the Neighbors” arrives this fall as Nicotine Dolls’ first single in months, following this summer’s standalone double-cover “Love Story // Check Yes Juliet” and February’s three-track debut EP Sex, Addiction, & Everyone Else.

Fronted by charismatic singer/songwriter Sam Cieri alongside guitarist John Hays, bassist John Merritt, and drummer Abel Tabares, Nicotine Dolls make catchy alternative and indie rock music that comes from, and speaks to the soul. Since debuting with 2019’s “Fake,” the four-piece have come into their own with a sound comparable to such acclaimed acts as The 1975, Bastille, and The Killers: Explosive yet intimate, catchy and substantial, Nicotine Dolls’ music blends memorable sound with deep meaning.



Nicotine Dolls © 2021
Nicotine Dolls © 2021



All this and more helped make the band one of Atwood Magazine’s 2021 Artists to Watch – a title they followed through on with February’s EP. “Nicotine Dolls have started off 2021 in the best of ways with their first extended player,” we wrote at the time, going on to praise Sex, Addiction, & Everyone Else. as a “dynamic and unassailable 12-minute rapture” and a “raw reckoning full of pain and passion, soaring melodies and stirring imagery.”

“Upset the Neighbors” is a radiant “comeback” single, once again putting Nicotine Dolls’ pure, expressive passion on high while showcasing their talent for marrying catchy melodies with invigorating sonics. Sam Cieri brings the house down on the track’s high-octane chorus, beckoning us to truly “let it all out” in a way that anyone who lives in close proximity to their neighbors knows all too well:

Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Making all sorts of noise
Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Make it sound like we’re banging on their door
For hours and hours

“This song is two people [who] keep veering away and distracting themselves from the issues inherent between them. I brought this one to the band feeling like it was right up our alley, big exhilarating sounds tied onto the inevitable weight off the topic. We went in wanting to chase the distraction part of the story, the fun and the show. So we take that grounding and then thought, what if “I believe in a thing called love” by The Darkness was covered by a 2007 pop punk band? It’s always a good sign if these are the questions you are asking.”

Nicotine Dolls © 2021
Nicotine Dolls © 2021



We’re Komi cosmic a loaded gun when shot strikes a hole
straight through heart of us both

We try to hide it the body won’t stay concealed
and we’re back to our backs in the cold
We always fight and the fighting’s overrated
we say, “F*** it! let’s get naked,”
we’ll work it out afterwards
Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Making all sorts of noise
Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Make it sound like we’re banging on their door
For hours and hours

NYC’S NICOTINE DOLLS SOAR ON STUNNING CINEMATIC DEBUT EP ‘SEX, ADDICTION, & EVERYONE ELSE.’

:: PREMIERE ::



Flying high on a euphoric mix of angst and lust, urgency and raw allure, “Upset the Neighbors” proves a thrilling joyride.

Nicotine Dolls have struck gold with a song that truly lets it all out – one that, by the end, not only has Sam Cieri singing his heart out, but also has us right there singing with him. What’s left is a sense of relief; a sense of fulfillment, like our souls have just gone on roller-coaster that shook us to the core, and left us breathless and elated. There’s no telling where the New York band goes from here, but we can’t wait to find out.

For now, make some noise with “Upset the Neighbors” on blast.

We can’t keep this up forever
It’s just the ticking of time counting us down
to the line where we run
and we’re back into the unknown again
back to the unknown again

Back into the unknown again
running to the unknown again
Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Making all sorts of noise
Come on let’s upset the neighbors
Make it sound like we’re banging on their door

— —

:: stream/purchase Nicotine Dolls here ::
Stream: “Upset the Neighbors” – Nicotine Dolls



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Upset the Neighbors - Nicotine Dolls

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Nicotine Dolls’ Feverish “The Madness” Is an Alt-Rock Dream

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