A Better Poet Than Most: Secaydia

Allston, MA’s de facto DIY music neighborhood, fosters explosive and expressive basement shows which present acts ranging from ambient DJs to metal bands dressed like bloody butchers. Big houses with white paneling and squeaky stairs serve as the auspicious sanctuary for a scene made of primarily young, queer adults with lots to be angry at. The scene proves itself to be more than just a place to cut loose, providing a constant source of support and inspiration for those who frequent it. Secaydia, a three-piece rock band emerged from this riotous scene. With Nico Thibodeaux on guitar and vocals, Colin Curcio on drums, and Max Rodin on bass, Secaydia’s music embraces the visceral experience of a house show. By combining the vulnerability and truth of the singer-songwriter with  gritty guitar, the band creates a listening experience that is both comforting and cathartic. 

Taken at a Boston Fire Aid show presented by Hillbomb last April

Growing up in Massachusetts, Thibodeaux watched the Allston music scene from afar before joining it themselves; “In high school, I would see a lot of posts for these cool shows I always really wanted to go to, and I never could because it was far away and I was scared,” they explained. As Thibodeaux continued on their musical journey, eventually attending Berklee College of Music, the once distant and intimidating Allston scene became their community. “Senior year, I started kind of going to some house shows in Allston and then freshman year of college, I met a lot of cool people with cool music taste and started going to a lot of these shows.”

Nico Thibodeaux by Grace Abdayem, 2025.

The name “Secaydia”  partially comes from the cicada, the state bug of Indiana where Thibodeaux lived the first ten years of their life, each night falling asleep to the insect’s song. Thibodeaux feels a spiritual connection to the bugs; “I love that they hibernate for 17 years, they wake up, they eat, they fuck, they scream as loud as they can, and then they just die. And I'm like, you know what? I relate.” The other half of their name comes from the Hosho McCreesh poem of the same name. Thibodeaux’s affinity for the short poem–“Sick of his own face, sick of his skin, of the dark, he crawls outside himself to sing –a better poet than most”–is ever present in the raw simplicity of their lyricism. 

“Kick the Habit” off of Secaydia’s 2025 live EP is an exploration of the constant and unavoidable cycles of change that come with entering adulthood. Thibodeaux addresses themes of identity, perception, acceptance, and helplessness as they desperately appeal to a higher power, pleading, “Can I grow up? Where do I go?” The song ends with a couplet, “She did not leave/ She’s just a shell,” sung in a tone of aching and backed by waterfalls of heavily distorted guitar.

Last month, Secaydia released their single “Sex & Drugs” as a part of their forthcoming first album release this Saturday, November 22nd. The self-titled album features six songs, one being a re-recording of their demo “Nicasio,” a collaboration with fellow Berklee artist Dinos. Secaydia began recording their album in May, but the material has been a year and a half in the making. “A lot of them are songs that I wrote after just losing a lot of important things in my life like really important friendships and relationships, and just coming to terms with a lot of adulthood. Almost, like, coming into adulthood and just realizing that everything is fluid. Everything changes so quickly, but at the end of the day, we can rely on ourselves,” said Thibodeaux.