Dan Peluso heads up the local five-piece indie-rock band Falling Andes. After a stint working for indie and major labels and playing in New York, he returned to Pittsburgh and started the band in 2011. The band is about to head to the studio to work on its second EP.
Moving to New York as a musician is one thing; moving back to Pittsburgh is another.
There, you're a small fish in a gigantic pond. Here, you're a small fish in a small pond. It's easier because of that aspect, but it's also more difficult because I feel like people in western Pennsylvania aren't as open to new and different music as people in New York or Chicago.
Does having worked in the industry give you insight as to how to do things as a band?
I think a big misconception is that bands think, "All I've gotta do is play music, and that's it. Everything will be handed down." If you want to be successful, you have to know the business and work it.
As someone who's worked for labels, are you looking for label support for your band, or hoping to stay independent?
It's not one or the other; ideally it'd be great if we could continue doing things ourselves, especially with the digital world being what it is — you can do that. But a label can bring resources that can push you over the edge. Either way, you still have to have a team working for you.
