Bay Area soul ensemble Con Brio will show off their updated lineup on the new EP, Seasons, due out on September 16. The septet recently released the set’s latest single, “Candlelight Lover.”
After eight years Con Brio parted ways with frontman Ziek McCarter earlier this year. Vocalist Sarah Clarke (Dirty Revival, Outer Orbit) now leads the band and her powerful pipes are featured on Seasons. Additionally, multi-instrumentalist AJ McKinley (Battlehoock, Suzanimal) joined the band to replace keyboardist Patrick Glynn.
Con Brio recorded Seasons in a distressed Oakland rehearsal space that the band converted into a modern recording studio. The seven-piece previously previewed the EP with lead single “Heart On The Dance Floor.”
Sarah Clarke’s emphatic singing is at the heart of “Candlelight Lover.” Con Brio infuses elements of rock, funk and soul into the catchy track. Clarke detailed the inspiration behind “Candlelight Lover” to Glide Magazine, the outlet that premiered the track, stating:
“In working verses for this song, I was hyper focused on the way the world felt as it was opening back up. We were stepping out of a space that was pretty isolating for all of us and starting to recognize the world as a place where we could be social again, foster relationships and connections.
The opening line ‘are these my inhibitions in the corner, crumped on the floor? They might stay there forever cuz I just don’t want them anymore’ is acknowledging our desire to connect with one another in an emotional and physical sense after being on our own islands for so long.”
Stream Con Brio’s “Candlelight Lover” below:
