Leire Martínez: "Neither above anyone, nor against anyone"

BarcelonaLeire Martínez (Errenteria, 1979) has left behind seventeen years as the lead singer of La Oreja de Van Gogh to pursue her own career. Her thoughts on closing that chapter were made clear in the song she released last year. My numberIt is also the one she has chosen to open the album Stories of that girl (Sony, 2026). The Basque singer is currently presenting it live on a tour that includes a show on Saturday, March 14th at the Polar Sound Festival in Baqueira-Beret and a sold-out show on Sunday the 15th at the Razzmatazz venue in Barcelona.

What stories did you want to tell on this album?

— Initially, I didn't know what I wanted to say. It's true that I wanted to test myself. I've reflected a lot and realized I needed to take care of myself. This album is a kind of tribute, a way of caring for myself. Not above anyone else, nor against anyone. The album is, in large part, this: a work created from where I am in my life right now. Emotionally, I think it's life-affirming, positive, about looking ahead, building, growing, and learning.

This mood makes it so that, especially in the first part of the album, the major keys are consolidated, there is drive, even rock.

— Yes, let them be more energetic rhythms, more up tempoBut without forgetting this other part, more about reflection, more about telling other things.

Explain other things like those of His curseA song about gender-based violence?

— Yes, because it's necessary to keep talking about issues that affect us as a society. We cannot allow these statistics or this type of behavior. We must continue working towards true equality where this has no place, or is an exception, not the norm. We must keep talking without resorting to sensationalism or frivolity. We must treat the issue with the respect it deserves, because we cannot revictimize the victims.

Who are you singing to? That girl?

— To myself. It was a conversation I needed to have, because sometimes I've been very hard on myself or demanded too much of myself without considering that perhaps my ability at that moment was what it was, and therefore I couldn't have done things any other way.

Is it a song you wouldn't have been able to sing twenty years ago?

— Exactly. I also wanted to talk about guilt, the weight we give to this word, and about a society that constantly points fingers and looks for culprits, but doesn't take responsibility for anything either.

Musically, have you noticed yourself feeling freer? In songs like Will it be different? There's a display of high notes that you haven't been doing so much of lately.

— I wanted to experiment and challenge myself, as long as the final decision aligned with my feelings. And, fortunately, it's been very rewarding. I'm very satisfied because I've shed some prejudices, fears, insecurities—those things that sometimes prevent us from seeing how far we can go.

In this process, what support have you found from Marc Montserrat and Pedro Felipe Navarro, as a production team and composers, and from collaborators such as Maria Peláe and Alba Reig?

— They've been fundamental pieces. A big part of this album's secret is precisely that it's drawn from different perspectives, not just my own. Obviously, I'm the one who ultimately made the final decision. What I was clearest about, or what I had the least doubt about, was the songwriting, because I've always loved to write. The musical aspect generated many more doubts, because I studied music and went to the conservatory, but I don't know how to play a polyphonic instrument that helps and accompanies this process, and because I'd never tried to do it on my own. Everyone listed in the album credits has been essential.

A few weeks ago, at the concert in La Riviera in Madrid, you quoted Scarlett O'Hara fromGone with the WindAnd you said, "I swear to God I will never again answer a single question that refers to La Oreja de Van Gogh." However, you open the album with My number, which is the song you released in response to the end of your time with the group.

— Yes, in April of last year.

And it's inevitable to interpret songs like this in this light. Mouse head, in which you talk about guiding your own destiny.

— I have no problem talking about La Oreja de Van Gogh. Because it's not about talking about La Oreja de Van Gogh, it's about talking about my life. From this perspective, I've never had any problem with it. Anyone who wants to ask has the right to ask. Likewise, I have the right not to answer. These are the basic principles. There has to be respect for both sides. Since I see that sometimes the way certain interviews are used isn't accurate, rigorous, or representative of me... well, if the way to put an end to this is to stop talking about certain topics... That said, the album does have references to my life. Mouse head It is a reflection that I share with María Peláe and Alba Reig, who are the two women with whom I sat down to write this song because the three of us share many things about how sometimes the music industry places you in places by deciding for you certain expectations of success.

You sing it with the passion of Mónica Naranjo.

— Oh, that's great! I insist, because it's important to me, this isn't against anyone. My empowerment isn't against you, or against him or her, it's not against anyone.

Is your experience in these last few months, when you are now taking full responsibility for your project, very different from when you shared responsibility with a group?

— Look, I have to give credit where credit is due, because the band was very well regarded within the industry and the record label, and they really wanted to protect and nurture it. My experience in that regard was very positive. Thanks to this, my starting point was unbeatable. Of course, things have changed, and I've had to learn that my day-to-day life is different now, where I take on all the responsibilities and am the sole public face. But some time has passed, and everything is flowing smoothly. I'm absolutely delighted, I really am.

You dedicated the concert in Madrid to Pablo B., the train driver who died. in the Adamuz train accident.

— The family contacted me and shared their experience. He had tickets for the concert, he was a fan of the band, and he had also wanted to follow my solo career. Behind the numbers are names and surnames, people who had dreams and passions. And Pablo's family made a decision that I applaud, because I think they are very brave. Grieving is not easy, it isn't. He was excited to go to the concert, and the family decided to go. They were with me for a while after the concert, and by dedicating the concert to them, I also wanted to extend my condolences to all the victims.

In I'll be here You sing: "The day you told me my music saved you." Do you remember the music of the one who saved you?

— Ugh, from a lot of people. Fortunately, my way of understanding and experiencing music is random. randomas they call it now. I've had many sources to draw from. I started listening to music based on what felt like home. My father was more AngloEmerson, Light & Palmer, Simon & Garfunkel, Tina Turner, Ike Turner... And my mother: Los Burros, El Último de la Fila, Aute, Serrat, Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, Rosa León, Pablo Milanés, Silvio Rodríguez. When I started deciding what kind of music I felt drawn to, there was an earlier period when Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Mecano, Luz Casal, The Pretenders, Texas, Carole King, Janis Joplin... were particularly influential. I've had many women who have been role models for me. Later, when I started moving in other circles and singing in orchestras and bands, I discovered other musical styles like Steve Vai, Marilyn Monroe, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Metallica. It was something heavier.

Have you ever imagined yourself as a heavy metal singer?

— Never. I find it incredibly fun, and I've enjoyed it a lot, but I don't feel I have the ability to sing heavy metal. Back then, I perhaps didn't focus so much on the vocals, but on the overall sound, the drums, the guitars. That virtuosity blew me away, and that's why I've traveled throughout Spain and other countries to see people I was really interested in.

Now that everything depends on you in this new stage, is there a possibility of including any songs in Basque on an album?

— Of course. In fact, my initial idea was to include it on this album, but at one point during the process I felt I wasn't giving the Basque lyrics the same attention as the rest, and I decided it was better not to. My intention is to create a side project where I can dedicate time and care to it, because it's fundamental for me. I also want to surround myself with Basque artists, colleagues who can help me shape it.