Brooklyn’s San Fermin Is Enjoying a ‘Crazy, High-Stakes Ride’

Ellis Ludwig-Leone / photo by Denny Renshaw- courtesy of We Present Management

Composer, songwriter, and band leader for the group San Fermin, Ellis Ludwig-Leone has many accomplishments to his name, having worked with not just his band but infinite orchestras, choreographers, choruses and more. Ludwig-Leone has taken the time to reflect on the band’s career until now, and how Brooklyn has influenced that.

Living in Brooklyn, Ludwig-Leone tells Brooklyn Roads how the borough has shaped his music and creativity, saying “it stirs the pot to be here, and I think that that is my favorite part of it actually, is the constant reevaluation and stimulation of that part of myself.”

San Fermin at Celebrate Brooklyn! August 9, 2014/ photo by Al Pereira

When it comes to the band San Fermin, formed in 2012, Ludwig-Leone speaks of it highly as not just a band, but a song writing project amongst all the members. Some of the members go way back, having written songs together since they were teenagers, and Ludwig-Leone says how this reflects onto the songs he writes for the band.

“The songs that I write for the band are a real reflection of that relationship and having known each other since we were 15, 16. It’s always a reinvention process,” he says.

The band’s name was inspired by the Spanish tradition of the running of the bulls and the festival that holds the same name.

San Fermin at Celebrate Brooklyn! – August 31, 2021/ photo by Steven Pisano

“There’s something about [that] tradition … that people would put themselves voluntarily, into this really crazy position of running from death,” Ludwig-Leone tells us. “It was just an interesting image, and it feels a little bit like what playing music is like. You’re putting yourself on this crazy high–stakes ride.”

The Cormorant I & II -Album Art

While listening to the band’s music, one might feel as though they are a part of a crazy high stakes ride themselves. In their latest album release, 2020’s’ The Cormorant I & II, each track offers a different set of sounds and rhythms, as you follow along with the band on their musical journey.

With San Fermin often described as a rock collective of indie, rock, pop, and classical music, Ludwig-Leone tells Brooklyn Roads that he prefers to shy away from labelling with genres, as the group can also be categorized as chamber pop.

“I think genres [are] helpful in terms of just knowing what to expect from the music that you’re coming to listen to. I think as the writer, it’s not super helpful to think that way,” he says.

Looking Over San Fermin at Celebrate Brooklyn! – August 9, 2014/ photo by Al Pereira

In 2014, San Fermin opened for St. Vincent at the Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival. When they returned there this summer, they played two shows as headliners, and blew audiences away with their signature sound and compelling melodies. They continue their journey in performances this fall.

“We’re doing an acoustic tour in November,” said Ludwig-Leone “We’re doing a very different kind of show than our normal thing where we’re going to be playing seated venues, a lot of city wineries and stuff, and playing stripped down versions of our songs, with more vocal harmonies and a new interpretation on the music.” You can catch them at City Winery in Manhattan on Nov. 23 and 24.