Leanne & Naara and KRNA are heading to Japan for Music Bridge Tokyo this April.

On January 18, 2025 (Saturday), it was announced that the two Filipino indie acts are set to join the Japan-held music showcase festival and conference, which features other acts from the rest of the world, including those from Japan, other parts of Asia, and more. As of January 21, 2025 (Tuesday), they are the only Filipino acts revealed to be joining the event.

What is Music Bridge Tokyo?

Spread across two days, Music Bridge Tokyo aims to shine the spotlight on newer and emerging artists from both within and outside Japan in order to “explore the potential of the Japanese music market as part of their international growth” as well as to “build a network with other artists for potential collaborations, information sharing, and touring guidance.”

The event specifically aims to create a stage for so-called “mellower” genres, including acoustic, semi-acoustic rock or pop, bedroom pop, dream pop, soft rock, smooth R&B, and more.

Music Bridge Tokyo held its first iteration last April 12 and 13, 2024 in Shibuya, with its first day focusing on performance while its second day focused on networking among attendees as well as educational seminars.

Last September 2024, the event began opening submissions for overseas artists interested in joining its 2025 edition. With the aim of helping artist not just perform but also become “a part of the city’s live music scene,” the event will be held in “four of Tokyo’s top live music venues” that host local and international artists all throughout the year.

Alongside the live performances from the selected artists during the showcase portion, the conference will feature “presentations by industry experts from Japan and around the world.” Including venue owners, sound engineers, label representatives, artist managers, and more, the event will feature key figures in the music industry who will be “offering insights and advice that can help shape [an artist’s] future. With this comes multiple opportunities network, with both industry figures as well as fellow artists.

The Lineup

Last December 2024, Music Bridge Tokyo started unveiling the lineup for its 2025 edition, which is set to happen this April 11 and 12, 2025. Included on this year’s list of artists performing are Metro Manila indie duo Leanne & Naara, as well as Cagayan de Oro-hailing dream pop unit KRNA. The two acts follow in the footsteps of Jaycen Cruz and Omnei.FM, Alpha Yang, and Starlight Replica who were the representatives of the Philippines to the 2024 iteration of the showcase.

Joining Leanne & Naara and KRNA are a number of fellow overseas artists who will be flying to Japan for the event. This includes Fi-Né (Taiwan), Holotropics (Taiwan), Ballsy (Canada), Maya Killtron (Canada), A.Train (South Korea), Polyamory (South Korea), Rats & Pears (China), Basement Queen (China), Hiroki (USA), Wander (USA), Soggy Jeans (Singapore), Spacebird (Malaysia), Waterflower (Latvia), Sunblinds (Bulgaria), Alvin Presley (India), and Who Shot Scott (New Zealand).

As of January 21, 2025 (Tuesday), the Japanese artists who will be performing at the event have yet to be announced. Watch this space for updates.

Leanne & Naara’s most recent release is from November 2023 when they provided the original soundtrack for the Netflix original cooking drama Replacing Chef Chico, which stars Alessandra De Rossi, Sam Milby, and Piolo Pascual. It notably holds the distinction of being the first Filipino-produced Netflix original series. Meanwhile, KRNA released their latest single “I’m Wrong” last March 8, 2024.

Listen to the original soundtrack for Replacing Chef Chico by Leanne & Naara and KRNA’s “I’m Wrong” below: