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.
Renaissance!
San Fermin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To tiptoe on the balustrade
Get over you, like anything
I ever could
It's easier from far away
Imagine this another way
I know the lines to every play
So please come wake me up
There's a mob at the door
I hear them calling for my head
And they're scaling the walls
I'm still, still dreaming magnificent things
It's awful high above the stage
In shadows on the balcony
Afraid to dive, it's worse to wait
The best ones cry
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your—
There's a mob at the door
I hear them calling for my head
And they're scaling the walls
I'm still, still dreaming magnificent things
There's a mob at the door
I hear them calling for my head
And they're scaling the walls
I'm still, still dreaming magnificent things
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your love
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your love
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your love
The lyrics to San Fermin's song "Renaissance!" paint a picture of someone who is grappling with the challenge of moving on from a person or a situation that is no longer serving them. The idea of a "renaissance" or a new beginning suggests the singer is trying to turn over a new leaf, but the lyrics suggest that this is easier said than done. The metaphorical image of tiptoeing on a balustrade or standing high above the stage suggests that the singer feels like they are on shaky ground as they try to move past their old life.
Throughout the song, the singer oscillates between feeling empowered and defeated. On one hand, they claim that getting over the person they are addressing is something they "ever could" do. On the other, they struggle to make the leap and remain "afraid to dive." The line "the best ones cry" suggests that even the most confident and put-together people sometimes struggle with vulnerability and emotional expression.
Line by Line Meaning
A renaissance, another day
A new beginning, a fresh day to start over.
To tiptoe on the balustrade
To take risks and challenge oneself without falling, like balancing on a narrow edge.
Get over you, like anything I ever could
Overcoming the pain of a lost love, which seems impossible but necessary.
It's easier from far away
Things appear easier and less complicated from a distance.
Imagine this another way
To envision another perspective, another way of seeing things.
I know the lines to every play
Being familiar with the roles and the expectations that come with them.
The best ones cry
Even those who are the strongest and most capable feel pain and sorrow.
So please come wake me up
A plea to be awakened, to be rescued from the darkness that one is experiencing.
There's a mob at the door
Facing criticism and opposition, there are people who are out to harm or criticize the artist.
I hear them calling for my head
Being accused of wrongdoing, and people are calling for punishment.
And they're scaling the walls
Desperate people who are willing to go to extreme measures to get to the singer.
I'm still, still dreaming magnificent things
Despite the chaos, the artist maintains a hope and aspiration for great things.
It's awful high above the stage
Being put on a pedestal or a stage is nerve-wracking.
In shadows on the balcony
Finding comfort in obscurity, and hiding from the spotlight.
Afraid to dive, it's worse to wait
The fear of taking risks is less than the fear of never trying at all.
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your—
The artist needs help to overcome their challenges and is waiting for someone to rescue them.
Please come wake me up I'm waiting for your love
The artist's plea for help and support comes from a place of love, care, and need for connection.
Contributed by Connor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Leo.Luna88
After 7 years, I'm still so in love with this performance.
sleeper08
We’re here. I love this version
Paulino Cecilio, Jr's Art Journal
San Fermin, just amazing! I don't know what it is about this song but as an artist I feel drawn to this song. Whenever I find myself painting this song can found on my inspiration playlist. The #Audiotre Live version is my fav. and wish I could find it on #spotify
m
I love this band, I follow your work for several years, greetings from Brazil!
Ricardo Javier Martínez Sánchez
Chills; literally chills. We need this kind of music in the spotlight, again.
Pablo Horteg
Really starting to love this band!
Ricardo Lamas
You are all a great talent, it hurts the person who runs you , you know what I mean. many of us have come across these types of people. I hope this is not an obstacle to your careers! Go ahead ! you are musicians and you have the talent. look for another composer, before it was difficult now no. my humble observation
Céline Lalande
I am amazed by the quality of your music! I heard it once on the CD of a French magazine and on the next day, I heard your song on a French radio, the newsreader was amazed that there can be something new in pop music and I agree!!!
Peter Slansky
Rushing out tonight to fill my ears with this wonderful band at Portland's Doug Fir!
melikab
Heard this on CBC radio today and had to come find it on youtube. its amazing. the composition, lyrics and my god, that voice! very refreshing.