CON BRIO (yes, the musical direction, meaning “with spirit” or “with vigour) is a seven-piece band from San Fransisco’s Bay Area. They describe their sound as “an explosive cocktail of soul, rock ‘n’ roll, rock, pop and old school R&B” and that just about summed up the music on their 2023 LP, ‘Scream At It’.
The band have just released a new single, ‘Don’t Mind Me’ and, soundwise, it’s hard to pin down and/or label. It’s the kind of cocktail that the band say they aspire to deliver. It’s dark, broody and introspective with an insistent chorus hook. The song was conceived as a showcase for Con Brio’s new lead singer Viveca Hawkins. Band main man AJ McKinley says that they wanted to write a song that accentuated Hawkins’ qualities as a singer. He also noted that Hawkins can sing anything from rock bangers to soulful ballads, and the group wanted to write a tune that displayed her specific skills. He added: “We took turns sharing music that inspired us, which led to a discussion about trying to create a sound that was a little darker, sexier while also trying to dig a little deeper into the funk/groove roots of the band. ‘Don’t Mind Me’ was one of the first songs that came out from those discussions,”
CON BRIO; ‘Don’t Mind Me’ – out now!
