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 ready to release my new single, “Standing Up (Live in Studio)”, 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 (released January 24, 2025) culminated in a live-in-studio single and music video, and short video and podcast interview aimed at raising awareness for mental health. After the release of this new single, I plan to record and release various singles throughout 2025 and beyond, leading up to my first full-length album.

On May 9, 2025, I released my newest single as Conner Eko, called “A Farewell to Arms,” which was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel. The song features international collaborations with musicians from Japan, Brazil, and Portugal. In 2026, I hope to complete my first debut album to merge pop music with diverse cultural influences, exploring cosmic themes, data sonification, and the human experience through music and storytelling. 

In early 2025, I was named a semi-finalist for the 2025-2026 Fulbright US Scholar Program with my project proposal “Cosmic Harmonies.” The project aims to blend modern pop with traditional Aboriginal sounds, co-writing songs with Indigenous communities in Australia to share Indigenous star knowledge and cultural heritage. Although I did not get awarded the Fulbright, I will be performing a new song I wrote called “Our Skies” written in preparation for the potential Fulbright project at Boise State University and the Idaho Dark Sky Reserve (June 5 and 6, 2025), and the International Astronomical Union’s Symposium 399, Indigenous Astronomy in the Space Age, on July 11, 2025 at the University of Melbourne in Australia. I also plan to release the song in July 2025 or later in 2025 dependent on recording schedules of collaborating musicians.