On November 8th, we had the privilege of sitting down with Jonathan Capeci (singer) and Joey Beretta (guitarist) of Nightly. Nightly is an up and coming alt-pop duo who have been opening for rapper NF since the beginning of the year. Capeci and Beretta are cousins who grew up together in Philadelphia. They bought matching guitars when they were 12, and they have been creating music together ever since.
As soon as we anxiously walked into the room for the interview, our nerves immediately settled, as it quickly became clear how easy going and fun the duo is. We first spoke about their hometown and where they live now. They said that they both really miss the good food and close proximity of beaches in Philly, since they now reside in Nashville. That being said, that love of the beach is part of why they love working in Los Angeles. Beretta told us that, when in LA, they really enjoy “the beach and the weather…but the food is really good too.”
We then got down to the stuff that really matters and asked them why they became musicians. Capeci joked that they “were just bad at everything else.” Beretta added, “We tried doing other things, and we just were terrible at those, and we just always came back to what we love to do, which is music.” We also talked about their favorite aspects of performing, where Beretta told us that he loves how “there are always different seasons of things you’re doing. It never feels like you’re doing one thing too long.” He said that he enjoys the ebb and flow of being on tour and then getting to go back home to Nashville to work on writing new songs.
As for advice to others who may be aspiring musicians, Capeci said that it’s important to “find your own voice…whatever you want to say, and be unique, and be yourself. Don’t try to be like somebody else. Honesty and uniqueness are what people are looking for.” They were definitely candid with us; when talking about what it’s like to be an opener rather than a headliner, Capeci stated, “It’s fun because you get to win fans, but you work for it…it’s difficult…You’ve got to live up to the headliner. As the opener, you’re grinding to win fans over.”
We had such a great time getting to chat with the duo and an even better time getting to see them live. Aside from a minor technical difficulty that prompted the house lights to go on and having them briefly leave the stage, their set went off without a hitch and sounded great. They performed some of their best songs, like “Who Am I To You,” “Holding On” and “XO.” Capeci’s smooth vocals and Beretta’s guitar skills blended like a dream.
After Nightly finished their set, and a strange guitar chord played for 20 minutes, the moment the crowd was waiting for finally happened. NF opened with “Why” and went on to play hits like “Outcast,” “If You Want Love,” “Lie” and “Let You Down.”As for Nightly, the pair is often in LA––about two to three months a year––and hopefully, they will be back soon so that we can enjoy another performance. Make sure to check out their newest song, “Younger,” which was released on November 9th, and completes their second EP entitled The Sound of Your Voice.