Mateo is a third-generation musician from the San Francisco Bay Area. He started singing at the age of five, performing for money during his grandmother’s poker nights. He got his first real taste of performing in high school, where he excelled in musical theater. In 1997, Mateo discovered the world of karaoke and singing contests. He competed in local karaoke circuits in the Phoenix, AZ area, winning multiple titles and prizes, and started to gain a reputation as a local competitive singer specializing in the styles of R&B and Pop.

In 2001, Mateo moved back to his home town of San Jose, California. He quickly resumed his passion for performing and continued to win local karaoke contests, most notably the “South Bay Golden Voice” competition hosted by local radio station Mix 104.9. It was then that Mateo made the leap into live cover band music, fronting local bands like Bad Jack (Classic Rock and Blues), First Born Sun (Alt. Rock/Reggae), Defunked (classic R&B and Funk), and The Jams (80’s&90’s Rock).

After 10 years of successful cover band fronting, Mateo got the opportunity to collaborate with established original rock band The Sonic Heavy. In 2012 Mateo co-wrote and co-produced their second studio album Fears Dreams and Invisible Things. Today, Mateo is the lead singer and co-writer for his first solo project, a hard rock band named Worry Stone. Their first album is scheduled to be released in Fall of 2016.