Judging by the breathless pace with which his words come pouring out, it seems as if Ellis Ludwig-Leone’s conversational pace has accelerated in lockstep with his career.
In the last two years, the frontman of Brooklyn chamber pop ensemble San Fermin has seen his band graduate from a solo composing project into an eight-member ensemble with a breakneck touring schedule that he “wouldn’t wish on anyone.”
If you go
‘ What: Nightfall concert series featuring San Fermin ‘ When: 8 p.m. Friday, May 15; Birds with Fleas opens at 7 p.m. ‘ Where: Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. ‘ Admission: Free ‘ Phone: 423-265-0771 ‘ Artist website: www.sanferminband.com ‘ Venue website: www.nightfallchattanooga.com
Discography
2015: “Jackrabbit” 2013: “San Fermin”
The opener
Birds With Fleas is a local indie rock quartet that initially started as a solo recording project by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Matt Siegel. The lineup now includes Drew Daniels (drums), Spencer Karges (guitar/vocals) and James Skelley (bass). For more information, visit www.birdswithfleas.com.
“Things can get pretty crazy after 60 hours of travel and no sleep and three shows,” he admits, laughing, minutes after the band has wrapped up a guest appearance on National Public Radio’s “World Cafe” that ran more than hour over schedule.
“I think it’s just a lifestyle change, which I’m happy about, but it’s also been an adjustment,” he adds. “As soon as you can get a minute to breathe, it’s energizing. I feel like I’m learning a lot very quickly.”
The slightly manic clip of Ludwig-Leone’s life seems well-suited to San Fermin’s recently released second album, “Jackrabbit,” which wobbles dramatically between moments of accessible pop music and darkly discordant numbers that echo his previous collaborations with avant garde composer Nico Muhly.
A graduate of Yale University’s composition program, Ludwig-Leone has imbued San Fermin’s music with a near symphonic complexity and rich texturing. Composing for the second album was easier than for the band’s self-titled debut, he says, because he had a set ensemble to write for instead of a nebulous composing project without links to a defined group of musicians.
Nevertheless, he says, after a year during which the band was, at turns, “uncomfortable challenged unhappy and ecstatic,” he wanted the music to reflect those different facets.
“I wasn’t going to write an album of 10 or 11 folk ballads after the year I had,” he laughs. “The first record was kind of warm, and the songs let you down gently at the end. I rebelled against that.
“Not everyone wants to be taken to a place where they’re being treated roughly and pushed around, but I think for the most part, people seemed to understand what we went for.”
The album, released on April 21, has been well-received by audiences, he says, and critics also have praised it for its challenging compositions. Paste Magazine called it “a potent and evocative listening experience.”
On Friday, May 15, San Fermin will make its Chattanooga debut as the headliner of this week’s Nightfall concert series.
Ludwig-Leone says he’s feeling like the band’s collective feet are more firmly under them these days, and he’s been more excited lately to take the stage having locked into a performing groove.
“One of the things that has been really exciting for this band in the last year is that we went from me being terrified of the live show to me really just thinking the live show was the best thing,” he says. “Our records are a mixture of all kinds of things, but the live show really feels like a very clear and energized thing. It’s really fun for us to tour these days.”
Contact Casey Phillips at cphillips@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6205. Follow him on Twitter at @Phillips CTFP.