A pastiche of post-rock, chamber-pop and contemporary classical composition, the self-titled debut album is strongly influenced by Ludwig-Leone's background in classical music, which includes a job assisting composer/arranger Nico Muhly.
After finishing his musical studies at Yale, Ludwig-Leone wrote the album in six weeks while holed up in a studio on the mountainous border between Alberta and British Columbia. He focused on lifeʼs top-shelf issues – youth, nostalgia, anxiety, unrequited love – and tied these vast themes to different characters through vocal contributions from longtime friend Allen Tate, as well as Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius.
The first track released from the album, Sonsick, tackles many of these larger themes head-on. ”It’s like a panic attack disguised as a birthday party,” Ludwig-Leone says. ”I realized that the most intense moments are the ones in which conflicting emotional worlds exist inside you, equally, at once.”
San Fermin is not an album of singles but rather a sweeping, full-bodied listen with multiple distinct peaks and ambitious thematic connections. Ludwig-Leone composed all of the album’s arrangements and lyrics in full prior to collaborating and recording, noting that “writing for a large group of unknown musicians infused the writing process with a kind of operatic scope.
Since then, the band has coalesced into a core of eight members in addition to Ludwig-Leone: Allen Tate and Rae Cassidy, lead vocals; Eliza Bagg and Rebekah Durham, vocals/violin; John Brandon, trumpet; Stephen Chen, saxophone; Tyler McDiarmid, guitar; and Mike Hanf, drums.
Sonsick
San Fermin Lyrics
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Maybe we can find a decent place
When I'm old enough
Found love in an empty gaze, try to fix it up
I found me a hopeless case, oh
I'll fall for you soon enough
I resolve to love
Now I know it's just another fuck
'Cause I'm old enough
Sell lies like their only trust
It will pick me up
I'll fall for you soon enough, oho, oho
Oho, don't be scared, that it's a harder kind of feel
Hold on tight, you must hold on unless you're in it
Ease your mind, and when you think, you're thinking clear
It's alright, you really tired for a minute
I just say, that it's another on the clock
It is a summer-calling sickness
Sonsick at the t-ball games, I so feel luck
Maybe find a place where we could mess
When we're old enough
We can never go from all the rest
We can live it up
All pressed in the Sunday best, oho, oho
Sonsick at the t-ball games, I so feel luck
Maybe find a place where we could mess
When we're old enough
Make plans and we'll buy the things, try to fix it up
Sonsick at the t-ball games, oho, oho
Oho, don't be scared, that it's a harder kind of feel
Hold on tight, you must hold on unless you're in it
Ease your mind, and when you think, you're thinking clear
It's alright, you really tired for a minute
I just say, that it's another on the clock
It is a summer-calling sickness
It is a summer-calling sickness
Summer-calling sickness
Oho, don't be scared, that it's a harder kind of feel
Hold on tight, you must hold on unless you're in it
Ease your mind, and when you think, you're thinking clear
It's alright, you really tired for a minute
I just say, that it's another on the clock
It is a summer-calling sickness
It is a summer-calling sickness
Summer-calling sickness
The lyrics of San Fermin's song Sonsick convey the idea of a love that is both hopeful and doomed. The singer describes finding a “hopeless case” and resolving to love them despite the odds. They acknowledge that they are old enough now to know that this love may end in disappointment like so many before, but they will fall for them nonetheless. The lyrics also touch on the concept of selling lies for trust and trying to fix things up when in love, suggesting a tendency to overlook faults in a partner or relationship.
The chorus of the song offers advice and reassurance to the listener, urging them not to be scared of the challenging feelings that come with love. They encourage the listener to hold on tight and ease their mind, reminding them that even when things seem unclear, it will be alright in the end. The song closes with a repetition of the phrase "summer-calling sickness," possibly referring to the fleeting nature of summer romances or the feeling of restlessness that often accompanies warm weather and newfound love.
Overall, the lyrics of Sonsick suggest a bittersweet longing for connection and an acceptance of the inherent risk involved in loving someone deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
I found me a hopeless case, and resolve to love
I encountered a person who seems difficult to love, but have determined to love them anyway
Maybe we can find a decent place
Perhaps we can discover a suitable environment to indulge in our affections
When I'm old enough
When I reach an appropriate age
Found love in an empty gaze, try to fix it up
I saw affection in someone who appeared detached, and attempted to mend them
I'll fall for you soon enough
I will inevitably develop feelings for you
Now I know it's just another fuck
I realize it was just a meaningless encounter
'Cause I'm old enough
Since I have reached a certain age
Sell lies like their only trust
They deceive and peddle falsehoods as if it is their only way to survive
It will pick me up
It will lift my spirits
Oho, don't be scared, that it's a harder kind of feel
Don't be afraid of the intense emotions that come with this type of feeling
Hold on tight, you must hold on unless you're in it
Hold on firmly unless you are committed to seeing it through
Ease your mind, and when you think, you're thinking clear
Relax and when you do, your thoughts will become more lucid
It's alright, you really tired for a minute
It is okay, you may feel weary for a moment
I just say, that it's another on the clock
I just mean that it's another instance to add to my experiences
It is a summer-calling sickness
It is an affliction typical of the summer season
Sonsick at the t-ball games, I so feel luck
Feeling blessed at the tee-ball games even though I'm lovesick
Maybe find a place where we could mess
Possibly discover a dwelling to be intimate
We can never go from all the rest
We won't be able to distance ourselves from the rest of the world
We can live it up
We can have a great time
All pressed in the Sunday best, oho, oho
All dressed up for Sunday, looking great
Make plans and we'll buy the things, try to fix it up
Let us devise a strategy and arrange to improve our situation
Oho, don't be scared, that it's a harder kind of feel
Don't be frightened by the intensity of the emotions
It is a summer-calling sickness
It is a malady brought about by summer and its atmosphere
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ELLIS LUDWIG-LEONE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind