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Leah Halili, Muri, and Lili on going places and working on new music together

Leah Halili, Muri, and Lili on going places and working on new music together

Estimated: 7 mins  reading

"He is kind of my muse. Naks!" Leah Halili might have been blushing during our quick sit-down with her. The singer-songwriter, looking comfortable in a snuggly sweater, was talking about how her husband, Nikee Banares, was her inspiration behind 'Clear To Me,' her recently released single.

"It's the story of how we met and how it came to be, how it's clear to me." She explained, perhaps a tad bit shy because she then quickly added, "Si Lili din eh! Yun mga songs ni Lili parang ano... (But Lili, too! Lili's songs are also...)" To which Lili retorted, "Girl, hey, this is about you!"

It was 11 PM in Anaheim Hills, California, 2 PM in Rote Island, Indonesia, and 8 AM in Paris, France. Muri had a Mona Lisa smile on her face as she tried to stop Leah from spilling the beans about the new music from their band, The Ransom Collective. "We can't talk too much about it for now," she said.

"By the time this interview is finished, there'd be something posted [about it already]!" Leah replied. Amidst all of it, Lili kept a smile on her face, almost mischievous, as sunny as the Indonesian beach where she was.

But this interview is not about that. It's about 'Clear To Me' and how Leah, Muri, and Lili worked on this new collaborative single.

The Story Behind the Song

 
 
 
 
 
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'Clear To Me,' apparently, has been in the works for almost two years.

"It started with me working (...) with my producer Carlos Castano and I really wanted more layers to the song." Leah shared. "I asked Lili and Muri if they were interested in adding more melodies to the song. With Muri being in Paris, Lili being in Rote, I didn't know how it would work out but they were down to do it. Muri was able to give her violin stems, Lili was able to give her melodic parts for the instrumental and it did work out. I'm really happy about it.

"The reason why I held it with me for a long time is because I was in a transition phase where I was doing a lot of things at work, I was in a totally different country, I was trying to (...) adapt to everything. Getting engaged and getting married [within] three or four months apart, there were so many changes in a year for me."

The track reflects these changes as well. In a press release, Leah said "that each verse and chorus came to me progressively as I was experiencing a totally different life from my life pre-pandemic." But while the song talks about life shifts, 'Clear To Me' is very evidently also for and by the anchors in Leah's life.

"When Leah brought it up, it was quite open-ended. She was like, "Just use the track. I think I can hear strings," Muri described what teaming up with Leah was like. "She just let me put my ideas there freely. So I just recorded it in my home studio and she integrated it. It was quite smooth. We're used to working with each other so I guess it was just fun to do stuff outside the regular [band] things."

"I recall vividly how she spoke to me and asked me to play with her," Lili mused. "We'd always write songs together in the band and we have such good chemistry, and we're a fan of each other's music."

Miles apart and yet during the interview, the three demonstrated how strong the bonds of their friendship are. Sisterhood, indeed, knows neither distance nor time apart.

"I'm really grateful because at that time Lili and Muri were also pursuing their own thing, also releasing their own things solo-wise," Leah admitted. "I found myself talking to them and asking a lot of questions about music and going solo, like how do we transition from being a band and finding our way, finding our sound personally."

Roll Call with Leah, Muri, and Lili

Many awesome things were said during our interview. But nothing can top what the girls shared through photos from their camera rolls in this edition of Roll Call.

Share the last selfie you took!

Leah:

"My selfie is me watching Phoenix (...) two weeks ago, I took a selfie because I was so happy! [My husband and I are] Phoenix fans. It was super fun. (...) Solid yung new songs!"

Lili:

"[Maxi and I] were just looking for coconuts and we found a guy who was gonna harvest, so we were just watching him climb a tree and harvest the coconuts."

Send us your favorite photo of the country you're in now.

Lili:

"There's an outer deck that Maxi built on his house. He actually built his house on like a rock, a boulder, and it has a good view of the waves, the sky, and the sunset. Actually, to go to the house for the longest time, you have to go on foot. (...) But recently they built an access road."

Leah:

I went to Yosemite with my in-laws and my husband, Nikee, for our birthdays. This is one of the pictures that I took, no filter. It's just the reflection (on the water). It's [one of] my favorite pics. I like views."

Muri:

I went to this big festival here in Paris which was [called] Rock en seine and there [were] a lot of artists who were really cool, like this one is FKJ. It was super nice. I haven't seen him live but I've been listening to him a lot. And also there was like Aurora and Parcels...a bunch of other people. It was my first music festival in a while and it was super, super big, like Wanderland times four or something. There were like five stages. It was super fun."

Send a memorable photo from since you started your respective solo artist careers.

Leah:

[This is a] makeshift studio inside my bedroom closet. It felt very humbling to start solo. I had to do a lot of DIY stuff and make do with what equipment I had. This is one of the first photos I had recording my solo stuff in my small bedroom, feeling far away from home."

Muri:

Playing at Fête de la Musique in Paris on the banks of [the] River Seine! [This is my] first big-ish crowd gig with a full band set up. The venue was super nice, scenic sunset view by the river. [I] was a bit nervous all over again; it was outside of my comfort zone doing in Paris and as my main solo project, but [I] had a lot of fun."

Lili:

Performing my songs live with the full band for the first time! The gig was great! It was intimate and personal. I got to sing all my songs and people were really there to support me, and I truly felt grateful for their presence. 

(My second gig) was fun because I got to perform again for the people who could not make it to the first gig! Having Syd (Harta), Bea (Lorenzo), and Shanne (Dandan) made the line-up all-female, which I feel was very inspirational for women. To see young talented women front and center stage is very empowering."

What's your favorite photo from Leah's wedding?

Muri:

Here are my photos from Leah's wedding: photo bombing the bride and groom; and then being with close friends from Manila, Paolo (Halili), Kuni; getting ready with Leah before she gets married; and of course, the lovely bride. Sorry, ang daming photos (laughs). It was a super fun wedding. I was her maid-of-honor then also because her sister wasn't there. It was super nice in the vineyard, surrounded by her family and friends."

Leah:

I really like the first pic because of the views and also because I could see everyone who came and supported and flew to the States to see the ceremony. I [also] really liked the one with the bridesmaids and groomsmen because they were so helpful and such an awesome entourage."

Share a photo that reminds you of 'Clear To Me.'

Muri:

[I'm] recording the violin parts for Leah's song!"

Lili:

[I'm] wearing a traditional Bavarian gingerbread cookie that Maxi gave me when I visited him in Germany, which says Welcome, dear Lily."

Leah:

This is about the time I felt like things were clear that I would get married. [I] took a trip to Lake Tahoe. I had been traveling a lot and seeing all these views and soaking in the sun and I kept repeating the line I want to wake up with the sun beaming high, grateful for the times I’ve been with you. In my head, we were still in an LDR (long-distance relationship) and I just wanted to fast forward to when we’d wake up next to each other, sun beaming high."

 

Listen to 'Clear To Me' here:


This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity.