San Fermin - The Cormorant I (2019) Hi Res

San Fermin have today announced their new album, The Cormorant I. The follow-up to 2017’s Belong is due out October 4th on Better Company, the new Sony Music Masterworks imprint from bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Lead single “The Hunger” dropped back in June, and now a second sample has been shared in “The Living”.

Though it’s intended to work as a standalone piece, The Cormorant I also serves as the first entry in a two-album story following a pair of characters from childhood to death. This first part takes a chronological path, but the to-be-announced second record will feature a “more jagged” timeline. “As I was writing, I was thinking a lot about how memories change over time,” said Ludwig-Leone in a press release. “The stories you tell yourself and the actual events aren’t always in synch.”

Vocalist Allen Tate takes on the male role in the tale, while his female counterpart is sung by a rotating cast of contributors: violinist Claire Wellin, new member Karlie Bruce, Sarah Pedinotti of Lip Talk, and Samia Finnerty of Samia. Also joining the San Fermin collective for the records are trumpet player John Brandon, saxophonist Stephen Chen, percussionist Michael Hanf, guitarists Tyler McDiarmid and Aki Ishiguro, the Attacca Quartet, and harpist Lavinia Meijer.