Nick Cianci and Samia Finnerty’s solo careers have overlapped within New York City’s music scene in a way that almost feels fated. Now a part of Samia’s usual live lineup, Nick spends his time between Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Samia has made a name for herself with her unapologetically honest lyrics and effervescent stage presence when she performs live. We loved talking to these two - their connection is genuine and hilarious and it’s clear why they work so well together. We caught up with them about a month into quarantine and we all shared the various embarrassing ways we’ve gotten out of talking about our feelings and how we’re all trying to stay sane in regards to the current lack of live music, something that’s integral to all of our personal lives and professional careers. Nick also shared the best love lyric of all time, read on to find out whether or not he’s right.

When someone asks who your favorite band is, what do you say to impress them? What’s your actual guilty pleasure favorite?

Samia: That’s a good question.

Nick: That’s a really good question. That’s hard.

Bre: A lot of times boys will try to impress us by naming some super underground name and they think it’s cool because nobody knows about it.

Emily: We’ve gotten a lot of Tame Impala, and a ton of jazz.

Nick: Just jazz?

Emily: Just jazz! No artist attached. Just jazz.

Nick: Sam, do you have a quick answer?

Samia: They're all pretty genuine, my answers, but I think I have one I'd more readily admit in certain situations than others. Like Father John Misty is my favorite of all time, but sometimes I’m scared to say that because it's pretty polarizing, you know? Nick, what’s yours?

Nick: I feel like I don’t totally believe in guilty pleasures. I’m not guilty about any of it. In a weird, roundabout way one of my favorite bands is Pinegrove. I thought they were a really cool band and not a lot of people knew about them for a while. Then they became this staple in the indie world. So maybe it’s a guilty pleasure now because everyone’s like, “oh yeah, Pinegrove.”

Samia: I’ll tell people that I love the first Smash Mouth album as readily as I’ll tell people that I love The National.

Emily: We’ve gotten that a couple times too.

Nick: There’s this band I really like right now called Disq that I’ve kind of been flexing lately. Like, “oh no big deal, I’m just listening to this band Disq a lot lately.”

Samia: We saw them at South By! Do you remember that?

Nick: ....wait. What.

Samia: We played right after them - or right before them - at Cheer Up Charlie’s or one of those places at South By. We were at that show.

Nick: Oh my god. I didn’t realize that was Disq. That makes so much sense now.

Samia: Yeah I came to love them this year.

Nick: That song “Loneliness” is like - is there even a better song?

Emily: My flex in college if I was trying to impress someone was always Del Water Gap.

Nick: Hell yeah.

Samia: Oh man I love him.

Emily: It has since changed but I’ve loved everything he does.

Samia: It’s his birthday! It’s Holden’s birthday today.

Emily: I haven’t seen him in a while.

Nick: It’s been... weeks.

Emily: Right - Nick, you’re in Malvern right now. Samia, where’s home for you?

Samia: I’m in Manhattan, I’m at my parent’s place.

How do you think quarantine has affected your creative processes? Do you think it’s a nice break or do you feel a pressure to keep creating?

Nick: I’m feeling a lot of pressure. I’m definitely not feeling good about it. The first week I was kind of stoked about it. I was writing a bunch of songs. It was great, like “okay, this is how it’s gonna be. Giddy up.” And then it turned into this, like, staring deep into my own soul kind of thing. Very solipsistic.

Samia: I had a pretty similar experience. I was just kind of stagnant, not doing anything. And then April rolled around and I felt like I had to just get back on the horse. I don’t know. I’m really just trying to find a routine that works and I haven’t been able to yet. There have been moments of appreciating this time to reflect, but then as soon as you start thinking about the financial side, everything is pretty dismal.

Bre: The first two weeks I was just watching Netflix and doing nothing else because college is on hold. I just got dumped, everyone’s stuck inside. And then Emily and I kind of got back on track and we’ve been setting up tons of these interviews. It feels good to just have that connection and actually talk to people face to face.

Nick: Hold on - did you say you just got dumped?

Bre: Yeah, literally right before this. We had school, and then spring break and a ton of my friends left for a trip that I wasn’t going on. And the day before they went my boyfriend broke up with me while I was sick. Then all my friends were gone and we went right into quarantine so I literally wasn’t able to see anybody.

Nick: Scratch everything I said about solipsistic songwriting woes. I’m so sorry to hear that. Did you have the coronavirus?

Emily: Wait, did you? Maybe you did.

Bre: No I just have a terrible immune system.

Emily: Anyways this has been Bre’s rebound. We’ve been dating bands like seven times a week.

Samia: Now’s the time to fall in love over Zoom.

Bre: I have a Zoom crush right now. We have classes online and I looked up this one guy on Instagram when we were done, and I was like, “oh okay.”

Nick: That’s so funny. You’re looking at each other’s little Zoom picture on the computer the whole time.

Bre: I think I was talking to Emily at the time and I was trying to explain the situation to her, and right when I looked him up he actually messaged me.

Nick: “You wanna make this a you-and-me call instead of a class call?”

Bre: Then you have to figure out if you’re bored or if you actually like the person.

Emily: That’s actually really funny. Like, virtual pick up lines only. What would yours be?

Nick: You have to start it off with, “Hey. :) Did you know that 25 to 50 percent of people are asymptomatic?”

Bre: Since we can’t go out and promote things right now I’ve been using Tinder as a way to get page views on my magazine. BUT. The amount of times I’ve gotten, “if the coronavirus doesn’t take you out, can I?” in my inbox is ridiculous.

Emily: Wow. That’s a good one.

Nick: That’s a weird one!

Have you ever used being a musician as a pickup line or a means to make yourself look cool?

Nick: I don’t know. Have I done that, Samia?

Samia: Yes.

Nick: Ok, you need to give me an example because I don’t even know.

Samia: I mean, it’s a natural part of getting to know somebody if that’s what you’re interested in. You’re definitely not using it to your advantage but it does come up.

Nick: It comes out? Does it really?

Samia: You brought a guitar to a bar once!

Nick: Did I? I did do that, didn’t I.

Emily: Noooo. No no no.

Nick: She played guitar too.

Emily: Of course she did.

Nick: She had one with her, too.

Bre: At a bar?

Nick: No, sorry, she didn’t have one with her. But I did by happenstance because she really likes guitars, I found out.

Emily: Did you play guitar for her in the middle of this bar? Like unprompted? Or were you just like, “Hey. Here it is. I have it.”

Nick: I actually didn’t end up playing it. It was an electric guitar, anyways.

Emily: Good. That’s a - green flag.

Nick: It was just that one time, it wasn’t one of my finer moments. I just went for it. But that wouldn't be indicative, though, Sam.

Sam: No, that’s not like a thing you do.

Nick: That’s just like a stupid funny thing I did once.

Emily: We talked to a band two days ago and we asked if being a musician ever turns people off from wanting to date them. And all five of them were like, “one hundred percent. Nobody wants to come near us.” And then we found out half of them are in serious relationships, which is weird. But for the most part, they were like, “yeah, musicians are historically emotionally unavailable, far too busy.” The one guy in a relationship was like, “I will cancel a date anytime to go write a song because that's just way more fun for me” And Bre and I looked at each other through the screen and we were like, there's no hope.

Nick: It seems like parents are more skeptical. Like, how are you gonna support each other...financially?

Emily: My mom always reminds me - “You’re a writer. Stop meeting musicians. Meet a doctor. Please? What are you doing?”

Nick: Samia only dates doctors.

Emily: GOOD.

Bre: That’s incredible.

Samia: That was a joke.

What’s the cringiest thing you’ve ever done to avoid talking about your feelings?

Bre: Oh we can go first if you need a minute.

Emily: Okay - so like truly twelve hours ago I was trying to figure out if this musician was trying to flirt with me or not, so I just straight up asked. And the response? He sent me a video of himself playing an organ. Like, “this is what I meant.” He didn’t even say yes or no! And I don’t know if that was a yes or no!

Samia: That’s incredible. I’d have to go full speed ahead. Like, that’s absolutely hilarious.

Bre: There was one moment where my boyfriend at the time tried to kiss me before we were dating or something, and I was nervous and wasn’t ready for it and instead of like, saying something normal, I gave him finger guns as a response.

Emily: Another musician also kind of ghosted me in the middle of our first date. He laid it out that he would not be dating me, and we hadn’t even finished the date yet. And it was a really good date.

Nick: He sounds like a movie character. Like the guy who ends up losing it all by the end of the movie.

Emily: Why are they all like that!

Nick: I’m a pretty “heart on my sleeve” kind of guy. I just say too much instead of not saying enough.

Emily: That’s not a bad thing.

Samia: Sometimes I'll write a song or a poem for someone and say things in it that I'm way too scared to say in person. Does that count as an answer?

Nick: That’s such a great answer.

Samia: Also - this was like years and years ago when I was a teenager. Someone told me they really liked me, and my response was, “Oh my god, there’s a mouse in my room.” And I just ran outside. That was my response.

Nick: That’s so funny.

Samia: That’s all I can think of.

Bre: There was this one time in college where a guy tried to kiss me and I got out of it by saying, “I actually have to leave, I haven’t fed my fish all day.”

Nick: You guys just remind me of this really bad dream I had last night where I was supposed to feed this cat for like a whole week and I didn't end up feeding it. I went to check on it and itt looked like I died. But then it was just playing around with me and it was still okay.

Emily: Oh my god. Bre. Tell them your hamster story.

Bre: I got a text from a number that I didn’t have that said, “Hey, do you want a hamster?” And it ended up being from some guy I had class with and he said he needed someone to watch this hamster for him while he was away for winter break. So I said yes and he dropped it off. And then weeks passed and when I was waiting for him to come pick it up again, I texted him and he said he’d get it in a few days. So a few days later I followed up again and he replied, “Who’s this?”

Emily: He ghosted her over a hamster. Or with the hamster.

Bre: Yeah I was like, “Uhh don’t you want your hamster?” And he apparently didn’t.

What’s your opinion on dating other musicians?

Emily: We’ve had mixed answers for this one too.

Bre: One guy said he wants to keep them separate because he likes that he can come home and not think about anything music-related and can just escape and be with the person. But other people said you can grow together and bounce ideas off each other.

Emily: And they understand the schedule and they’re cool with the lack of availability or don’t expect a certain level of commitment.

Samia: I don’t really care, as long as long as I respect what someone is doing and I admire their work, whatever it is. I don’t really care what they do. It’s a plus to have a lot in common, as long as you think what they’re doing is cool.

Nick: Yeah, I agree with that. I second that “cool.” I don’t really have much of a different answer.

Do you have any favorite love songs?

Samia: I really like this song called “Big One” by Madeline Kenney. That’s probably my favorite straight-up love song right now. “Ice Cream” by Black Midi.

Nick: “Romeo and Juliet” by Dire Straits, because that deserves to be up there.

Emily: My answers have changed. A consistent one though that I haven’t recycled with these interviews is “Comfort” by Petal. It’s incredibly sad but it just hits those kind of “final moment” feelings in a relationship.

Bre: I keep referencing “No Turning Back” by Joy Oladokun. It’s about loving someone even though they might not love you, but you’re still going to feel it anyways.

Nick: I was listening to “You and I” by Wilco. That’s a great one. And also all Taylor Swift songs.

Samia: “I Love You, Honeybear.” Father John Misty.

Nick: Oh my god, you’re so right.

Samia: And “Holy Shit.”

Nick: “Holy Shit” is the best one. Hold on. I have to pull up a lyric. If we’re talking greatest love songs, this one has the greatest love line of all time.

Emily: Perfect, let’s hear it.

Nick: “Oh, and love is just an institution based on human frailty/What's your paradise gotta do with Adam and Eve?/Maybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity/But what I fail to see is what that's gotta do with you and me.”

Emily: Oh, that’s good.

Samia: That was word-for-word a Tinder message that I got once.

Emily: Oh my god.

Nick: A dude was just like, “Idk maybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity. This is my opinion and these are my words. Yes.”

Emily: I don’t know if it’s better to understand the reference or not. I’m cringing either way.

Do you have any fun college memories?

Nick: Eating...at the dining hall.

Emily: Come on. You went to the coolest college. You have something better than that.

Nick: Alright. One time Kimbra came to our class and talked to us. That was really fun. She was our professor for the day.

Samia: One time my friends went to this bar called Niagara, and Del Water Gap was playing at the bar. I knew Chris - Kit - who was in the band at the time. And I remember thinking they were so cool. And I didn’t even know what the future would hold.

Nick: I wasn’t in the band at the time, right?

Emily: I dragged Del Water Gap to Saint Joe’s like three times. After I met them in 2017 - before Nick - they played my basement and then they played a small campus gig.

Nick: Were you at that one Drexel show we played?

Emily: Yes! [of course]

Do you think this particular moment in time is either positively or negatively affecting the music industry?

Nick: So far I haven’t seen many positive things about it, but maybe I’m just being pessimistic.

Bre: I talked to someone today who said, for him at least, he's really enjoyed posting online, like and doing live streams. And having the time to give individual attention to people who appreciate music, whereas at a concert you don’t get a chance to kind of answer questions. I know that’s not a hugely positive thing but it’s at least something for now.

Samia: I’ve liked being able to see my friends play more often than usual. And it’s a more intimate performance because people have less resources. You’re getting to see a really heartfelt performance. I’ve watched so many of my friends just with an acoustic guitar giving it their all and I think that’s so nice. It’s nice to have time to write even when it doesn’t feel productive. But it’s definitely not worth what’s happening in the world.

Emily: I like the live streams, but I’m worried that people are going to get too comfortable with them and once things go semi-back to normal people will be less interested in putting forth the effort of a real live performance. People are cozy right now. They’re watching from screens. There’s no production involved. The part that makes these performances intimate is awesome, but I’m worried our mindset on live music is going to be changed.

Samia: The music industry is going to change. It’s going to be interesting to see how it rebuilds, especially if this lasts longer than we think.

Nick: I saw something that said potentially no live shows until fall 2021. Then I was thinking it would be funny to see like, huge performers playing super small venues. Like shows are okay if you keep it to less than 200 people. So then you’ve got Billie Eilish playing the Mercury Lounge or something.

Bre: How are you trying to stay hopeful despite all of this?

Samia: Just listen to people. There are also so many great organizations that take care of people who have been preparing for this kind of thing, like resources who have had musicians’ backs. I’m just trying to listen to what people need and keep in contact.

Nick: I just call Samia whenever I get sad. I call her 20 times an hour.

Emily: That’s how often Bre and I talk.

Samia: Yeah, it’s nice.

Emily: I’ve also found lately that I’ve been overwhelmed with trying to stay in touch with people even though texting is literally so easy. There’s nothing else to do, but if I have a couple different Zoom sessions scheduled or something I feel immediately burnt out. Talking to people is absolutely keeping me sane, but it’s really easy to overbook yourself without leaving the house.

Nick: Oh I have a question - have you guys been having any super weird dreams?

Bre: Oh yeah.

Emily: Mine tend to be hyper-realistic dreams. Like where you can’t tell if you actually lived through it or not.

Samia: I did a live stream, and I knew that I was supposed to do it at the end of the week and every night that week I had a nightmare about being on stage and forgetting all the words. I haven’t thought about performing in front of people for so long.

Bre: Are there any major differences between performing in person and performing online that have stood out to you?

Nick: I guess one of the weirdest things is that you can’t hear the reaction whenever you’re done. The few times that I’ve done them it’s just kind of like “alright, guess I’m done,” after I finish a song.

Samia: The best part of playing live is that it feels like a mutually beneficial thing, and you’re there together with the audience and it's a collective effort. That’s there in a sense with streams but it’s not the same.

Emily: Yeah, people have been getting really creative with their streams. I was watching The Districts go live with each other the other day and they were making breakfast and answering questions. And I was like, “I will watch this for an hour and a half. Yes, of course I will.” It was great.

Nick: Silly boys. I love them so much.

Emily: It keeps me sane since I’m here alone.

Nick: What’s it like being alone through this? Are you doing okay?

Emily: I've lived alone for like two years, so I was used to it. This wasn't like a huge shock, but I was mostly thrown off just by not being able to go to shows anymore, because that's what I do like three times a week. And I have people over here all the time and a lot of my friends went home home. And it's just me here. But I've been alright. I'm used to being by myself, but this is kind of a different type of alone. What else are you guys doing?

Nick: I've been teaching some guitar, I have a couple students. Otherwise, the side hustles that I have, I can’t do those. I did some nannying, I worked for a photobooth company. But now I’m just chilling at my parents house.

Samia: I definitely try to supplement the music stuff with other jobs, but I can’t do that right now. So whatever comes in from music I’m really, really grateful.

Bre: I do concert and wedding photography and truly everything was just canceled. But everyone’s getting hit by this in really unexpected ways.

If you could plan a really awesome first date with no limitations, what would you do?

Samia: I’d go on a boat. That’s all I want. I just want to go ona boat and have dinner.

Nick: Any kind of boat?

Samia: I don’t really care. Any kind of boat.

Bre: I’m terrified of boats. I think that’s my second biggest fear besides elevators.

Nick: For my ideal first date I’d take her to an elevator.

Bre: Oh my god.

Nick: Bad joke. Terrible.

Emily: I’m of course including that.

Nick: I’d go to a classy Italian restaurant. There’s one I really love in South Philly, just like this little hole in the wall spot.

Emily: I’d predictably go to Johnny Brenda’s and see a show.

Talking with Nick and Samia was one of the interviews we were most excited for. We told her that one of our friends planned an emo-hours playlist solely around her song “Milk,” but the playlist we put together during this is far more chaotic. Hearing their takes on the state of the music industry right now was kind of refreshing - it’s okay to not feel overly optimistic. It’s okay to feel the uncertainty right now. It’s okay to just do what you can to deal. We also fully agreed that “Holy Shit” is the best FJM song.

The Date Where Nick Cianci and Samia Finnerty Come Face to Face With Their Solipsistic Woes