By Scout Nicholson / The Jambar
Youngstown State University alumnus Nick Adduci brings a unique voice to the Youngstown music scene, blending the tunes of Steely Dan and Bob Dylan into his own distinctive sound.
Adduci grew up in Hubbard. At a young age, he was influenced by music, which is when he first picked up the piano and guitar. It wasn’t until he attended YSU that he fully committed to his musical career.
“I remember sitting in Bliss Hall. I’d go and sneak up to the piano rooms all the time, and I’d write songs up there,” Adduci said.
Adduci is a 2021 graduate of YSU, where he double majored in art education and mathematics. He currently resides in his hometown and teaches at Farrell Area School District in Pennsylvania.
He first started recording music in 2017 at Boss Studios in Hubbard. It was there he released his debut album titled “United Music.”
“I had some songs that I’d written in college … that I put together and narrowed down to those 10 on the first album. It originally was supposed to be a concept album, or the idea was songs related to mafia … the ‘Ballad of Lenny and Joey,’ which is about Youngstown mafia figures, and ‘Seat 17,’ which is about congressman Jim Traficant, who was mobbed up,” Adduci said.
After the release of his first album, Adduci switched to Peppermint Productions in Youngstown. It was there he released his second album, “United Music II” in 2022, and an EP, “United Music Outtakes” in 2023.
“I put those out, and then I decided after that to put the ‘United Music’ thing to bed because I had ‘United Music I’ and ‘II,’ and then the outtakes kind of closed that musical chapter,” Adduci said.
In 2024, Adduci began to rise in popularity after the release of his third studio album, “Conversations.” This album features his top songs “Adelaide” and “Unloyal Lament,” which have a combined total of over 280,000 streams on Spotify.
This led him to create his most recent album, “Alone at Peppermint,” which was released over the summer.
“I got some listeners and I said, ‘Well, you know, they’re really listening to ‘Unloyal Lament’ and ‘Adelaide.’ I want to bring them to some of these other songs,’” Adduci said. “So, I decided I’ll just get back into the studio and I’ll do a couple songs, just acoustic, quick, easy, get them out there.”
With eight songs, the album highlights his musical past and what his songs are about.
Most of his music can be categorized as folk, though it’s his writing style and process that set him apart from others. Adduci employs different chord progressions, tells unique stories and uses his own artwork as his album covers.
Adduci plans on creating more music. In the next few weeks, he said he’s heading back to Peppermint Recording to begin on his next album.
Apart from working in the studio, he has several upcoming shows in the Youngstown area, including two performances at Westside Bowl on Nov. 22 and Nov. 28.
Adduci’s music is available on all streaming platforms. Those interested can find more on upcoming shows at nickadduci.com.