Conner Eko, is my current artistic persona. As Conner Eko, I write, record, perform and release original music as an indie pop singer-songwriter and am currently based in Vallejo, California. I have a career spanning over two decades, and first gained recognition as the lead singer-songwriter of the solo project, Dan Peluso Band, with the song “Rabbit Hole”, which aired on Fuse TV, terrestrial radio, and placed on nationally distributed promotional compilation CDs. My second successful project was as the lead singer, synthesizer player, and co-songwriter for the Pittsburgh-based indie pop rock band Falling Andes, known for songs like “San Francisco,” “Frantic,” and “Start Again.” In 2021, I began my latest project as Conner Eko, debuting with the single "SINK" in 2021, which garnered media attention and airplay on SiriusXM satellite radio after being remixed by Grammy award-winning DJ StoneBridge in 2022.

My music career began in the late 1990s and early 2000s when I played in garage bands and also sang backup vocals and played percussion for the Western Pennsylvania touring blues band, Black Cat Otis, while I was still in middle and high school. In high school, I also played drum set in various garage bands and occasionally for regionally touring cover bands (e.g., The Guys).

After high school, I was accepted into Berklee College of Music to major in Songwriting. Although I ultimately pursued a Music Business degree (focusing on songwriting) at a different institution, this detour did provide me with valuable experience working in the music industry, including roles at Warner Music, Universal Music, and Island Def Jam Records. It also led to some unexpected experiences, such as teaching high school science, discovering exoplanets, and earning a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Southern Queensland in 2024. Despite a long-held regret over not focusing all my efforts on songwriting at Berklee, I have recently let go of regrets and have embraced my diverse journey and now strive for a new goal to blend my passions for music, astronomy, and education, but with songwriting and performance back at the forefront. Additionally, I am proud of the three EPs and over 20 songs I have professionally released, which have gained significant press, radio play, and placements. 

My renewed vigor for songwriting was catalyzed in 2021 when a traumatic brain injury significantly impacted my activities. During this period, my lifelong battle with depression intensified. Playing the living room acoustic piano became one of the few activities I could engage in without major concussion side effects, leading to an outpouring of new songwriting and renewing of my relationship with music. This renewing felt like being reconnected to a long-lost soulmate. This, combined with significant recovery through psychedelic integration therapy, inspired the creation of my current project as Conner Eko, the debut single, “SINK”, and follow-up singles such as “Christmas Morning Goodbye” and “I Didn’t See You At All.”

My commitment to rebrand as Conner Eko represents a fusion of my passion for music, astronomy, and education. It also represents a pivotal turning point in my life and personal growth to finally fully embrace who I truly am in heart and soul—an artist and singer-songwriter. I am currently developing the new single, “Standing Up”, with producer, Jacob Light, at ModernTone Studios (LaFayette, CA) that explores my battles with depression and significant growth towards much improved mental health. The release of this song (scheduled for early 2025) will culminate in a live-in-studio single, fully produced track, and documentary aimed at raising awareness for mental health. In 2025, I plan to release a series of singles after “Standing Up” to make up Eko’s first EP or full-lenth album. 

Beginning in 2026, I plan a new music project to merge pop singer-songwriter music with exotic genres and instrumentation, exploring cosmic themes, and the human condition through scientific data and cultural stories and collaboration.