La Oreja de Van Gogh has announced that Leire Martínez, its vocalist for 17 years, is leaving the group. In a statement, the group explains that the decision has been “hard and difficult” but that it comes “after a long time of reflection.”
“After 17 wonderful years full of music and emotions that we will never forget, we want to announce that the professional trajectories of Leire and La Oreja de Van Gogh will follow separate paths,” the statement explains. «The decision has been hard and difficult, but it comes after a long time of reflection and deep conversations in which we have not managed to bring together our different ways of living as a group. A fascinating stage ends that we will all carry in our hearts and that has allowed us to enjoy the best profession in the world in a dream way.
Leire Martínez joined the ranks of La Oreja de Van Gogh in 2008 after the departure of its original vocalist, Amaia Montero. Together with Leire, La Oreja de Van Gogh has published four studio albums, these are, ‘At five in the Astoria’ (2008), ‘Cometas por el cielo’ (2011), ‘El planeta imaginario’ (2016) and ‘A whisper in the storm’ (2020). In the last year, La Oreja de Van Gogh has developed its first festival tour, performing at events such as SanSan.
Together with Leire Martínez, La Oreja de Van Gogh has published some of the most recognizable songs from this last stage of his career, especially ‘Jueves’, a song inspired by the events of 11-M, which is close to 140 million views. streams on Spotify. ‘The Last Waltz’, ‘The Girl Who Cries at Your Parties’, ‘Comets in the Sky’ and ‘December’ are also among the successes of La Oreja con Leire.
Leire Martínez, born in Guipúzcoa, became known in 2007 as a contestant on the first edition of Factor X Spain, the same edition that launched Angy Fernández’s career. Leire was eliminated in the sixth gala of the program.
Solo, Leire Martínez was chosen, in 2014, to sing alongside David DeMaría ‘No te marches siempre’, the original song from ‘Ocho surnames vascos’, one of the highest-grossing Spanish films in history. The song was nominated for the Goya.
In the last month, Leire Martínez has expressed her discomfort over the insistent rumors of a reunion between La Oreja de Van Gogh and Amaia Montero. She has claimed to feel “ignored”: “It seems like everyone forgets that there is a singer in the group. “It’s ugly to me to see that nothing seems to matter.”
Leire has been in the news in recent days for breaking down in tears during La Oreja’s end-of-tour concert in Zaragoza.
— Van Gogh’s Ear (@laorejadevgogh) October 14, 2024