Popular wisdom says that ‘better alone than in bad company’. The singer Leire Martínez (San Sebastián, 1979) makes the phrase her own and smiles. “Changes must be taken as a plus. Two years ago I couldn’t even imagine being where I am now, but taking the risk of pursuing a solo career is the best thing that has happened to me. It makes you braver and more confident in yourself,” she explains.
Only two years have passed since that fateful October 14, 2024 and it seems almost an eternity. The emptiness she felt when the four men of La Oreja de Van Gogh posted a cryptic statement on social media announcing that they no longer counted on her remains. There was talk of backstabbing, lack of tact and even immaturity for announcing it this way when in other professional arenas such a move would be considered a firing. “At the time it was a blow, but now I’m living things I wouldn’t have been able to experience in a band. And I’m testing myself,” she emphasizes.
Calm Heals the Wounds
They were weeks of frenzy, crossfire between those who defended her and those who argued that it wasn’t so bad to close the door on a colleague after 17 years with a terse statement. She went through a tough time, but chose not to engage and to redirect her career. In 2026 she released ‘Historias de aquella niña’, her first solo album.
Far from getting self-conscious, she understood that it was time to claim her status as an artist. On a grand scale and under her own name. She embarked on a tour that has taken her all over Spain, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and the United States. First in small venues; then in medium ones and it will end on April 17 at the Plaza Vistalegre in Madrid. As of writing these lines, almost all tickets are sold.
The Errenteria-born artist acknowledges that it has been a healing whirlwind. “It may sound contradictory because in these months I’ve had a lot of work and it has been stressful. But at the same time I’ve regained peace. I swear: a tranquility I hadn’t had in a long time,” she says.
First Person
Flying solo is dizzying… and a huge source of satisfaction. “In the end, it’s about speaking in the first person and defending your own view of things. On your own you tell what you want to tell and how you want to tell it. In a group you speak on behalf of a brand. You have to reach a consensus when deciding what you tell and how you tell it or what the brand wants to represent. Now I don’t have to worry about any of that.”
That freedom at the helm and her determined character have been key for Braun to choose her as ambassador for its personal IPL hair-removal devices. The campaign name could not be more fitting: “When you start going your own way, everything gets better”.
The Braun IPL device that Leire Martínez is the face of.
In Hard Times, a Brave Face (and a Lot of Work)
Life sometimes shows us its harshest face. Leire Martínez has experienced it firsthand. That is why now she celebrates the moment she decided that no one would question whether she could cut it as a singer. “I’m really enjoying this. I would never have lived this if I hadn’t dared to take the step, but I’m one of those who believes that if life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” she jokes.
Suddenly she pauses and changes tone. “I’ve gone through terrible times.” Not because of La Oreja, but due to other life reasons. My friends told me, ‘I don’t know how you do it.’ And I always answered the same: ‘I keep going because the heart keeps beating and I wake up every day. Life goes on. You can’t stop.”
Dare to Make Decisions for Yourself
Life is a continual series of decisions. Sometimes on your own initiative. Other times forced by circumstances. The key is not to stay still and to accept that sometimes things will go well and other times less well. “My way of looking at life is to always push forward. That frees me in many ways. The other option would be to keep smashing against a wall and that only brings you suffering.”
She recognizes that in life she has had to take difficult steps, but that is how you break the chains when something grips you. “Sometimes we insist on maintaining situations that do us no good. And of course it’s hard to get out of certain situations and break that comfort zone! But it’s also the way to test yourself and grow as a person.”
Welcome to Your New Self
In this new phase of her career, the singer acknowledges that she has discovered many things she did not know about the Leire herself. “To begin with, I discovered that I tended to undervalue the things I did. It’s impostor syndrome that doesn’t originate from replacing Amaya, but has been with me since I was a child.”
She remembers that, for as long as she can remember, when something didn’t cost her much to do, “I didn’t give it value either.” For me, singing has never been hard; it came naturally and I liked it. That’s why I never imagined it could be my profession.” She pauses and signs off with a kind of universal female lament: “I suppose that happens to many women.”
When Silence Hurts More Than Words
Talking with Leire is non-stop, with an open heart. “I’m a person who likes direct things and speaking to the face. I can’t stand silence and whispering. I insist on the things I think should be tried, but I understand that sometimes a good goodbye is much better.”
But there are ways and ways to say goodbye. A ‘see you later’ is always better than a door slammed shut without explanation. Still, “I continue to believe in loyalty and in team synergies. Now I have a band with which I have created a place where I feel comfortable. And I’m incredibly proud to be able to say that, for the first time in my entire career, my on-stage situation is completely equal: there are three women and three men.” Does Leire believe in sisterhood after all? “Of course.”
Things Women Do
After opening up professionally, she does so on a personal terrain that resonates with all of us. “When you embark on a tour you don’t consider that your hair will grow and roots will appear, or that at some point you’ll have to shave. That there will be many months away from home and that will happen,” she confesses. “Now we have tools you can carry in your suitcase and they can save you in a pinch. But there have been times when I’ve gone crazy.”
She confesses that on some occasions she has been called for a television interview that was not on the schedule, “And suddenly you think: Oh God, I’m about to show my gray hairs! Fortunately, I’m crafty and manage very well.” She ends the interview with a hug that makes you feel you’ve known her all your life. Maybe because we’ve all, at some point, been Leire too.
