Leanne & Naara stormed the then-bustling local indie scene in 2016 with “Again,” demonstrating a refreshing sound behind smooth vocals and all-too-relatable lyricism. Following a series of covers—from “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” to “Someday”—as well as originals like “New York And Back” and “Run Run,” the pair further cemented their place in an industry crowded with guitar-wielding singer-songwriters.
Acclaim for Leanne & Naara would peak at an all-time high when the duo bagged the Album of the Year Award at the 2021 Awit Awards for their 2020 project, “Daybreak,” where one of its tracks, “Too Soon,” bagged the Best R&B Recording honors. Their track “Anticipation” also took home the Best R&B Recording and Record of the Year trophy in the 2022 Awit Awards. The following year, they recorded the soundtrack for the Filipino-led Netflix series, “Replacing Chef Chico.”
Yet for a musical duo with hundreds of thousands of followers and millions upon millions of listens across several social media and streaming platforms, Leanne & Naara hasn’t quite made it mainstream. Is it because of their largely English discography (2022’s “Unan” was their first-ever Tagalog single)? Or in their words, was it because they never quite ‘pushed’ the Leanne & Naara name to its true limit?
Almost in line with their ninth anniversary (by their estimate), we caught up with Leanne Mamonong and Naara Acueza of Leanne & Naara to talk about their latest single “Find Another Love,” their brief hiatus, their definition of success, and the keys that made their partnership work.
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On “Find Another Love”
In September 2024, amid rumors of their supposed disbandment, Leanne & Naara took to Instagram to clear the air, that although they will be taking a brief break, the duo will remain together. “‘Nag-break na ba ang Leanne & Naara’? Are words that you will never have to utter again. Now, you get to be with us forever, at wala na kayong choice,” the pair assured their fans.
“We just rested for a year. We weren’t in a hurry to release stuff because, since the pandemic, we didn’t stop working and releasing music,” says Acueza, referring to the reasoning behind their hiatus.
Mamonong chimes in, “There’s definitely burnout. Although there were still creative pursuits every now and then, we took that break so that it would be easier to come back again.”
“We just let each other be. Whenever there’s a personal thing going on with the other, we make sure to support that. That’s why the whole year of rest happened, because we never tried to push the agenda of Leanne & Naara. And the thing is, we always find our way back.”
And find their way back they did with their latest single, “Find Another Love.”
Though the title indicates otherwise, Mamonong explains that the track is not necessarily about searching for another partner. More so, it encapsulates the feeling of finding someone so perfect that you try your hardest to keep them in your arms for as long as possible.
“It’s about finding that one person you’re so comfortable with that you feel like this could be it, that they might be the person you could spend your life with. And it’s about seeing that security, of wanting to settle down and finding your goals with that special someone.”
I don’t mind spending my whole life
Just being loved by you
Not trying to be wise
I know that you get me
And I love the way you do
I only wish to be enough
So you won’t have to go ’round
And find anothеr love
Sonically, they also shared that “Find Another Love” is more reminiscent of their early releases. “It’s a coming home to our roots—the first few songs that we released, it’s more reminiscent of that. We just wanted to give that to our fans, who probably also miss that sound.”
Respect, communication, and the keys to a successful duo
In the same breath that certain fans expect K-pop idols or bands to place their groups and careers at the center of their lives, that doesn’t seem to be the case for Leanne & Naara. In fact, they’ve largely maintained a healthily-distanced work relationship despite their long-standing friendship.
“We usually write separately. Although, we’ve tried writing together in some projects. The ones I remember, most recently is ‘Unan,’ and another one is ‘Rest.’ We really value our individuality,” says Mamonong.
“Some things work, some things don’t. So we respect that. We respect each other’s energy. We don’t push it. We respect each other’s limitations.”
And from a grinding-towards-a-certain-level-of-success kind of perspective, though they’ll admit their approach has somewhat contributed to their ‘underrated’ reputation, that’s not necessarily their focus.
“Success for us—of course, it would be great if we get to that level, we most definitely wouldn’t say no to that—but that’s not the goal. The goal is to simply create music that we could be proud of—stuff that we love and that stays true to us. That’s always been our North Star,” shares Mamonong.
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Nine years of Leanne & Naara and beyond
For the Leanne & Naara fans out there, the duo assured us that “Find Another Love” won’t be the only release for the year (that’s all we got from them, so keep an eye out!).
As for any live shows, the pair just came off their first performance in Japan with Music Bridge Tokyo. Meanwhile, Mamonong, who’s launched a solo project as barb., will be going on a joint tour with Singapore-based artists Marian Carmel and RENE, in celebration of their new single, “Parachuting Off The Moon.”
The show dates are as follows:
May 30 – The Projector (Golden Mile Theatre), Singapore
June 6 – Flotsam & Jetsam, La Union
June 9 – Hangout Resto-Calle Uno, Baguio
June 12 – Mow’s Bar, Manila
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