"Born in the spring of 2009, after singer/guitarist Xandra Corpora posted an ad on Craigslist, Con Brio — named for a musical directive that means “with spirit” — came together through a haphazard series of friend dates and open-mic jam sessions around San Francisco.
He moved to San Francisco after high school and got into the local music scene, where he met keyboardist Micah Dubreuil, Andrews, Kirchner, Laubacher, Stephens, and Brendan Liu.
Consequence of Sound said McCarter had "a unique blend of cheery funk and soulful R&B, saved from the whimsical confines of nostalgia by a jaw dropping, awe-inspiring physical performance that would give Nigel Lythgoe a hernia.
[8] After completing their tour of the U.S. and Europe, the band replaced Dubreuil with Patrick Monaco Glynn and began work on their first full-length album, titled Paradise.
[1][2] The 12-track album, produced by Mario Caldato Jr., features McCarter and company addressing life in modern society, including the struggles of inequality ("Hard Times"), capitalism ("Money"), and the Black Lives Matter movement ("Free & Brave").