Nightly released their third album songs to drive to on Friday, March 7, 2025. The album features 11 songs in the band’s signature style – dreamy, cinematic pop. 

Nightly began with cousins Jonathan Capeci and Joey Beretta making music together around Philadelphia. They later moved to Nashville to pursue their project Dinner and a Suit, a rock band known for its albums Lights and Lungs (2008) and Since Our Departure (2011). Dinner and a Suit disbanded in 2016 and Capeci and Beretta moved on to start the new band Nightly.

The cousins partnered with friend Nicholas Sainato and released their first single “XO” later in 2016. The song received wide recognition for its emotionally charged lyrics. “I can’t focus when you’re with me/I can’t sleep when I’m alone/In this half life that I’m living/I love you but I gotta let go, XO, XO.”

Nightly’s debut EP Honest was released a few months later and “XO” proved the favorite track. 

Since their inception, Nightly captures the magic and despair of navigating relationships as a young adult. The lyrics come alive in their sound and the listener becomes entranced in the story. While the experiences the band had may vary from the listener, the narrative resonates with any individual who has faced the emotional range of dating. And the power of their lyrics stems from their simplicity, lines about lying in bed watching tv, hanging out in a car with a band tshirt on the floor. 

songs to drive to starts with “tv shows” and depicts the surging love that comes from watching tv together. Capeci sings, “Cause in the blue light/Of your bedroom/I could die just you and I/Watching tv shows that we’ve both seen.” The sound is gentle and romantic and works to soothe the listener. The perfect start to a car ride.

The album segues into “where do we go from here” with the opening lines “Saw you on a rooftop dressed in pink/Tried to play it cool but I spilled my drink.” The song details the anxiety-riddled and awkward reality of trying to talk to someone while out at a party or a bar. 

In “STOP” the band discusses the uncertain future of a relationship and the pain of not knowing how long the romance will last. Capeci sings, “I’m not saying I need you all the time/But I notice every time you’re not around.” The listener is swept into the early stress of defining a relationship and the roots of love starting to spread.

In “MESS” Nightly explains the mess of falling in love with someone and working up the courage to say the words aloud. Capeci croons, “And I’m a mess/Every time you hit my phone I sweat.” The lyrics speak to the jitters of phone calls, of phrases on the cusp of speech. 

In “gas station cowboy hats” the band talks about having a silly night with accessories purchased at a gas station. Capeci sings, “ Oh staying up all night/Oh dancing til daylight/In gas station cowboy hats.” The listener is reminded of being young and buying unnecessary merchandise from a convenience store or gas station and in the moment that foolishness being the best purchase ever made. 

In “time flies when you’re having fun” Nightly remarks on the memories that flood the mind after a breakup. Capeci says, “And just like that I’m back in your car/Staring at a Rolling Stones shirt on the floor.” The words put the listener into that space where there is nothing left to say and no way to resurrect the partnership. 

In “don’t even think about it” the band comments on the pain of seeing an ex out in the world after a recent breakup. Capeci croons, “Try to stay out of touch, but its a rush whenever I see you/Try not to show it, but you know what you’re putting me through.”The lines rekindle the paranoia, the overthinking, the surge of adrenaline when seeing an ex in person.  

In “TALK” the band observes the rush of a crush. Capeci sings, “All black/White gold/Eyes are magnetized to wherever she goes.” The track reignites the cycle of a relationship and dives into the initial spark of a stranger in a shared room.

In “me and my misses” Nightly vocalizes the frustration of flirting and the high rejection rate – Capeci says “Shooters take shots/And I struck out swinging.” The lyrics aim to stay positive despite desperate persistence for love and affection.

In “every part” the band discusses the desire for vulnerability from a partner. Capeci sings “Yeah so tell me you’re broken/Tell me you’re sad.” The words remind listeners that candid trust builds over time. 

In the final track “i didn’t know that i needed you” the band closes out the album with thoughtful care that comes from wanting to get to know someone better and creating the space to be open. Capeci sings, “But you didn’t look at me as someone incomplete/Or take off running when I was hard to read.” The lines summarize the ethos of the album – that relationships are challenging and require mutual respect, but the right person will stay and listen. 

songs to drive to is an album best to listen to alone. Its tracks are tender, emotional, and transparent. Nightly allows the listener into their stories, into their memories and with that unrelenting trust, the listener is swept into the drive.