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.
The Hunger
San Fermin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This hunger but I don't know why
Another night, another try
I'm starving like I'm gonna die
I'm staring through an empty suit
Like why'd I wear these fucking shoes?
I'm weaving through these endless nights
I don't know why
And eventually I'll fall for another disappointment
When did it get like this?
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star, you're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
So feed me all your Valentines
Your chocolates and your cheesy lines
Another wine and a flower
Fill me in another time
I guess it's fine
And eventually I'll fall
For another disappointment
When did it get like this?
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star, you're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
The hunger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones know
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star
You're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
San Fermin's song The Hunger is about an insatiable desire that gnaws at the soul of the singer. The hunger is undefined, but its symptoms are outlined in the first stanza. It's a relentless craving that comes every night and urges him/her to keep going. The singer is probably going through some kind of emotional turmoil and is trying to outrun it.
The second verse describes the singer's state of mind as they navigate through another night, trying to fill the void with something that is always out of their reach. They are looking for something that will make them feel alive again, but they don't know what that is yet. They are trying to make peace with themselves and their current situation, but something keeps pulling them back. The singer is reflective and somewhat introspective as they try to figure out what went wrong.
The chorus casts a nostalgic light on the whole song. The singer is asked to remember a time when hunger was a simpler thing - a time when love and affection were enough to fill the void. The song is a reminder that life may be complicated now, but the hunger is something that can be tamed by focusing on the little joys and pleasures of life.
Line by Line Meaning
This hunger that I can't describe
I feel a strong desire or yearning that I cannot put into words.
This hunger but I don't know why
I feel this intense hunger or craving, but I am unsure of what's causing it.
Another night, another try
I keep trying every night despite my hunger and my uncertainty.
I'm starving like I'm gonna die
I feel so famished that I am afraid I might not survive.
I'm staring through an empty suit
I am looking at someone who appears empty or vacuous, like they have nothing inside them.
Like why'd I wear these fucking shoes?
I am puzzled and frustrated by my own actions, like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes.
I'm weaving through these endless nights
I feel like I'm wandering or meandering aimlessly during these long, never-ending nights.
I don't know why, I don't know why
I am unable to explain or understand why I am doing what I am doing.
And eventually I'll fall for another disappointment
I know I will eventually be disappointed again, regardless of my efforts.
When did it get like this?
I don't understand how or when things became so difficult or unsatisfying.
When I was such a nice kid
I used to be kind and well-behaved. What happened?
Keep it to yourself tonight
Don't share your thoughts, feelings, or struggles tonight.
And try to look alive
Make an effort to appear alert, energetic, or enthusiastic.
You're a star, you're a find
You have great potential or talent, and are worth discovering or investing in.
You're a pretty little lie
You seem attractive, charming, or appealing, but you are actually deceitful or disingenuous.
So get your head on right
Fix your mindset or attitude so that you can succeed or thrive.
Imagine that it's like when you were younger
Remember what it was like to have the same hunger, passion, and drive you had when you were younger.
The hunger
This strong, unsatisfied desire or need.
So feed me all your Valentines
Give me all your love notes or romantic gestures.
Your chocolates and your cheesy lines
Your cliched, unoriginal attempts at wooing or flattering me.
Another wine and a flower
Another drink and another token of affection.
Fill me in another time
Satisfy my hunger or desire again, but at a different time.
I guess it's fine
I'm not thrilled or excited, but I'll accept it as okay or satisfactory.
Always the lonely, always the lonely ones
It's always the people who are alone or isolated who experience this kind of hunger or yearning.
Always the lonely ones go
The lonely people are the ones who leave or move on from this feeling of hunger or longing.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ellis Ludwig-Leone
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yungivar686
This hunger that I can't describe
This hunger but I don't know why
Another night, another try
I'm starving like I'm gonna die
I'm staring through an empty suit
Like why'd I wear these fucking shoes?
I'm weaving through these endless nights
I don't know why, I don't know why
I don't know why
And eventually I'll fall for another disappointment
When did it get like this?
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star, you're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
So feed me all your Valentines
Your chocolates and your cheesy lines
Another wine and a flower
Fill me in another time
I guess it's fine
And eventually I'll fall
For another disappointment
When did it get like this?
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star, you're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
The hunger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones know
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You're a star
You're a find
You're a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it's like
When you were younger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
@jessemoynan4332
This hunger that I can’t describe
This hunger but I don’t know why
Another night, another try
I’m starving like I’m gonna die
I’m staring through an empty suit
Like why’d I wear these fucking shoes
I’m weaving through these endless nights
I don’t know why, I don’t know why
I don’t know why
And eventually I’ll fall for
Another disappointment
When did it get like this
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You’re a star, you’re a find
You’re a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it’s like
When you were younger
The hunger
So feed me all your Valentines
Your chocolates and your cheesy lines
Another winy oenophile
Well fill me in another time
I guess it’s fine
And eventually I’ll fall for
Another disappointment
When did it get like this
When I was such a nice kid
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You’re a star, you’re a find
You’re a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it’s like
When you were younger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones know
Keep it to yourself tonight
And try to look alive
You’re a star, you’re a find
You’re a pretty little lie
So get your head on right
Imagine that it’s like
When you were younger
The hunger
Always the lonely
Always the lonely ones
Always the lonely ones go
@henryseisenman
Found this through a YouTube ad and this is honestly one of the best finds for me in the last couple years, love this song.
@carlcochrane9377
Big facts
@AgentSmith92011
check out Sonsick by her, it's another beautiful song.
@CertifieddGoodboyy
No cap, I went to go like the song and got surprised with the ad playing
@clivel5755
Agreed. Not very often this happens, but this one struck me by accident, and I actively looked for it days and weeks after
@abovemyenemieskrew
Thnx to Siri I found this song in hot topic lol
@MemoBosqueVEVO
Underrated band, I wish they had more views
@forray_forever
One of the only youtube ads i have clicked. Brilliant... ❤
@MiladyMetalhead
Same... love this song and only listened to it twice. Once in the ad and just now clicking through.
@cameronmoon5366
Absolutely beautiful, thank you for paying for me to find your music.