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.
No Promises
San Fermin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey, honey, you look a little tired
Wasn′t very long ago we were wolfing down America
Living in the undergrowth and buzzing in the night
On and on and round and round we circle
Up and down, we're floating on the tide
I won't let you down, I won't let you down
Been wandering, who′s to say if we′ll be found
No promises, no promises
Hey, honey, I know it's been a while
Hey, honey, I wouldn′t blame you if your turned around
On and on and round and round we circle
Up and down, we're floating on the tide
I won′t promise you if you follow me around
I won't let you down, I won′t let you down
Been wandering, who's to say if we'll be found
No promises, no promises
Pack your bags, leave your home
Drive all night, do it for me
Change your clothes, hold your calls
Cook your ties, do it for me
Wet your lips, dry your tears
Drink your doubts, do it for me
Waste your youth, count your years
Lose yourself, do it for me
Pack your bags, leave your home
Drive all night, do it for me
Change your clothes, hold your calls
Cook your ties, do it for me
Wet your lips, dry your tears,
Drink your doubts, do it for me
Waste your youth, count your years
Do it for me
I won′t promise you if you follow me around
I won′t let you down, I won't let you down
Been wandering, who′s to say if we'll be found
No promises, no promises
I won′t promise you if you follow me around
I won't let you down, I won′t let you down
Been wandering, who's to say if we'll be found
No promises, no promises
Pack your bags
Drive all night
Change your clothes
Cook your ties (no promises)
Wet your lips
Drink your doubts
Waste your youth
No promises
San Fermin's song "No Promises" is a reflective number about taking risks and living life with no guarantees. The opening lines, "Hey, honey, are you giving up? / Hey, honey, you look a little tired" set the tone for the melancholic and introspective nature of the song. The next couple of lines, "Wasn't very long ago we were wolfing down America / Living in the undergrowth and buzzing in the night" seem almost nostalgic, hinting at a time when the two characters in the song were more carefree and less burdened by the demands of daily life.
The chorus of "No Promises" is simple yet powerful - "I won't promise you if you follow me around / I won't let you down, I won't let you down / Been wandering, who's to say if we'll be found / No promises, no promises." The message here is clear - the singer cannot offer any guarantees, but one thing is for sure - they will not betray the trust of the person they are speaking to.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey, honey, are you giving up?
Asking if everything is okay and if they are losing hope.
Hey, honey, you look a little tired
Noticing that the person seems exhausted.
Wasn′t very long ago we were wolfing down America
Living in the undergrowth and buzzing in the night
Remembering a time when they were carefree and adventurous.
On and on and round and round we circle
Up and down, we're floating on the tide
Feeling stuck in life, going in circles with no direction.
I won′t promise you if you follow me around
I won't let you down, I won't let you down
Been wandering, who′s to say if we′ll be found
No promises, no promises
Refusing to make promises that might not be kept and admitting uncertainty about the future.
Hey, honey, I know it's been a while
Hey, honey, I wouldn′t blame you if your turned around
Acknowledging that a lot of time has passed and understanding if the person wants to back out.
Pack your bags, leave your home
Drive all night, do it for me
Change your clothes, hold your calls
Cook your ties, do it for me
Wet your lips, dry your tears
Drink your doubts, do it for me
Waste your youth, count your years
Lose yourself, do it for me
Asking the person to take risks and make sacrifices for the relationship.
I won′t promise you if you follow me around
I won't let you down, I won't let you down
Been wandering, who's to say if we'll be found
No promises, no promises
Repeated refrain of refusing to make promises but still striving to not disappoint.
Pack your bags
Drive all night
Change your clothes
Cook your ties (no promises)
Wet your lips
Drink your doubts
Waste your youth
No promises
Final repetition of urging the person to take action, but without the safety net of promises.
Writer(s): Ellis Ludwig-leone
Contributed by Wyatt H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Connor Todd
Pack your bags
leave your home
drive all night
do it for me
Change your clothes
hold your calls
cut your ties
do it for me
Wet your lips
dry your years
drink your doubts
do it for me
Waste your youth
count your years
lose yourself
do it for me.
K D
What a song. What a band. <3
Leandro Krüger
Thanks for sharing the new song! I really love this band
john smith
Just heard this on MPB (Mississippi public broadcasting) and was blown away, I am so hype that I found you guys.
Lionwolfe
Listening to this song on repeat. I think I have a new favorite style of music.
seewall11
Sounds great guys! Keep it up, pushing the boundaries of original and meaningful music. Cant wait to see you live in Vancouver come April.
Mary Randall
This song is so peaceful!! ^ ^
Connor Todd
Pack your bags
leave your home
drive all night
do it for me
Change your clothes
hold your calls
cut your ties
do it for me
Wet your lips
dry your years
drink your doubts
do it for me
Waste your youth
count your years
lose yourself
do it for me.
Psyduck
My favorite band at the moment. can't wait for you guys to come to Philly
Shawn Elliott
Goddamn this is a catchy song. It also hits a nerve for me.
Nick Buchanan
Very underrated singer.