Biography Questions & Answers
Eiko Peck is also known as Elco Deck. Eiko, along with his band the Boomclique (est. 2002) began blending Funk, Soul, Folk, Jazz and Rock to create a truly original sound. His lyrics incorporate honest accounts of city life, while his sincere delivery reflects a true story teller. Eiko was born and raised in the borough of Manhattan. From the age of sixteen he has performed on countless stages with countless bands in New York and the surrounding tri-state area.
Since graduating with a music degree in 2002 via SUNY Purchase, Eiko has played with various musical projects ranging from Indie rock to funk, electronica to Hip-Hop, Country to jazz, Reggae to Soul. Most notably, Eiko spent four years playing bass with Indie band Benzos where he toured the U.S. with such artists as Benevento/Russo Duo, the New Deal, She Wants Revenge, Lake Trout and many others. Since the break of Benzos Eiko has returned to his songwriting roots and with the help of his long time musical companions the Boomclique, he has matured into an experienced solo artist.
In the winter of 08' Eiko moved from the hustle of NYC to a small secluded upstate town which will remain nameless.
With the conversion of small barn to recording studio, Eiko began working on his second full length album after a four year hiatus from singing or songwriting. After numerous bottles of "inspiration juice" and throwing his back out from drunken wood-chopping the results were in, Eiko Peck had once again transformed himself back into Elco Deck and "Winters Gun" was born. This work not only captured the versatility of Elco Deck's thought process and musical skill, it also revealed a personal look into the life and times of a native New Yorker who is ready to return home and bring something new to the table.
Elco Deck and the Boomclique consist of eight members. Eiko Peck (vocals/guitar/bass), Luca Bartoccioli (guitar/bass), Eric Maltz (keyboards), Steve Bryant (drums), Giancarlo Colaianni (tenor sax), Joe Ancowitz (trumpet) Brendan Cahill (trumpet/flugelhorn) and Adrian Michna (trombone).
Elco Deck is currently back in New York City promoting his second full length album "Winters Gun" and is performing in and around the NYC area.
Q: A lot of people are wondering what’s up with the name “Elco Deck”. It really is one of the strangest band names i’ve heard in a long time. Is it another language? What’s the story behind it?
A: Well its kind of funny i guess. Growing up with mixed heritage (japanese/irish/english)in NYC, my mother named me Eiko my father’s last name is Peck. I guess my name was prone to many mispronunciations. All through elementary school my name was played with by the other kids. believe me you had to come with some original shit to offend me. i guess it wasn't till late high school or early collage when i started receiving lots of junk mail from various credit card companies and the such with my name misspelled, “Elko Peck” , “Aiko Deck”, “Ekio Speck” they even misspelled my passport to read “Elko”. I figured alright already maybe it would be easier if the world just knew me as “Elco Deck” its kind of like my split personality in true gemini fashion. if Eiko doesn't want to deal with it let Elco do it.
Q:How would you describe your music and what kind of people do you think would enjoy it?
A: I like to think of my music as people music, not folk music specifically although there are elements of folk involved, in the end i would have to say my music is funk with a twist of soul. Melody, groove and the head nod factor are all top priorities.
As far as who i think would enjoy it, everyone should be able to find something on this record they could relate to. I didn’t put this record together with any demographic in mind, i just wanted to create something that would thump in your headphones or car or chest.
Q: Tell me about your latest work “Winters Gun” and what can listeners expect to take home from this sonic journey?
A: lets see, “Winters Gun” is my second self produced album. I guess i began writing it back when i finished “Not by words alone” in 2005. None of the tunes really came to full fruition until years later when i left the city and moved upstate. I was living in Brooklyn at the time and i felt like my life had reached a stand still, i needed some new perspectives and outlets for inspiration. I had to break the routine. My father had long been retired and residing in a small town up in the western part of the catskills. I packed up and decided to see what winter was like in the woods. I knew it was going to be cold, quiet and the perfect place to do a little soul searching.
My time upstate proved to be helpful but it also forced me to spend a lot of time with myself, alone. there wasn’t much around to distract me, just me and my father and the snow and the woods. by that time my father knew how to keep himself busy but I still had a bit to learn. I began talking to myself on a regular basis.
I took whatever home recording equipment i had and set it up in a small barn which was located in the back yard of my fathers house. i spent night after night sitting alone in that barn.
With sub zero temperatures i kept warm with a good kerosene space heater and some good old irish whiskey. When hearing of these circumstances you would probably think I was writing some depressing self loathing music but for the most part i was having a pretty good time. Don’t get me wrong though after a few months of that your mind tends to travel off to some dark places. The songs began to take shape and naturally the majority of them were very introspective and personal. Some songs are frustrating tales of life's routines (One move changes everything, In Circles). Some question authority through metaphor (No Ringtone, Fall Away) some are memoir based (Am i livin’ , Winters Gun) and some are simple love songs(Waiting Patiently, You Pick Me Up I Find That Sound). I spent around nine months up in the Catskill mountains and in those months i learned a lot about myself and what i have control over and what i do not. i returned to the city a bit more clear headed and for that i am grateful.
Q: Which bands/artists would you compare yourself with. Where do you find your inspiration?
A: ahh the dreaded question. its hard to say who i think i sound like or who i think my music sounds like. I draw inspiration from many sources. Whether its checking out an open mic or listening to the gospel band next door to my place in brooklyn I find inspiration from it all. As far as the sound of my music I was highly influenced by Hip-Hop as a kid. Nice and Smooth, Gangstarr, De La Soul, Kool G Rap were some groups i listened to but i was also listening to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Guns and Roses and on top of all that James Brown , Kool and the Gang, Roy Ayers plus my dad was making me listen to Miles Davis, MJQ and other jazz records. i Had a lot of tapes back then and I still do today.
Now a days I still listen to Hip-Hop and Jazz and many other styes of music, I really try to keep an open mind about life and music because to me there both the same thing. As far as recent artists i’ve been listening to it really varies. All of Outkast’s stuff really had an impact on me especially their double album. I came across Citizen Cope a few years back and said to myself I really like this. Brooklyn’s Sharon Jones plus all the UK soul that followed, all the Stones Throw shit all had influenced me one way or the other. All the street musicians i see on a daily basis all have a place in my heart. I just love seeing artists do their thing whether they get recognized for it or not.
Q:When going to an “Elco Deck” Show what can one expect?
A: A rocking show of course!
