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.
At Night True Love
San Fermin Lyrics
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I will find my own true love
Mmm…
San Fermin's "At Night True Love" is a touching and intimate ballad that speaks to the yearning for love and companionship. The opening lines "Please come wake me up I'm all alone" evoke a sense of loneliness and isolation - a feeling that many of us have experienced at some point in our lives. The plea for someone to wake them up suggests a desperation to be rescued from this loneliness and to find a source of comfort and support. However, the lines that follow show a sense of determination and hope: "I will find my own true love." This shows that even in the face of loneliness and adversity, the singer is resilient and confident enough to seek out love on their own terms.
The repetition of the phrase "At night true love" throughout the song underscores the importance of love and its potential to provide a sense of purpose and meaning in life. The melody is gentle and plaintive, accentuating the vulnerability and fragility of the emotions being expressed. The song is a powerful testament to the human need for connection and intimacy, as well as the strength that comes from being self-sufficient and determined.
Line by Line Meaning
Please come wake me up I'm all alone
I am feeling lonely and I am yearning for someone to come and rouse me from my solitude.
I will find my own true love
I am confident that I will eventually find the one who is meant to be with me, the person who I will share an authentic, fulfilling connection with.
Contributed by Dylan V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.