Founded by front man Lucas Silveira in 2004, The Cliks have gone through the highs and lows that make an artist a true veteran of change…and in all things, including rock and roll, the only real constant, is change.
Almost nine years since the formation of the band, The Cliks are still standing. After a slew of line up changes, Silveira is the sole remaining original member of the band and, the Cliks, an extension of his personal vision. That vision is on display with the new album "Black Tie Elevator" due for release March 2012.
The Cliks' first two major label releases, Snakehouse (2006- Warner Music Canada/Tommy Boy) & Dirty King (2009-Warner Music Canada/Tommy Boy) brought the band international recognition.
They caught the attention of pop music icon Cyndi Lauper, who invited the band to join her on two consecutive True Colors tours. Subsequently, rock veteran Ian Ashbury of The Cult, also asked the band to join them to tour the U.S and Canada.
SNAKEHOUSE garnered critical acclaim from mainstream media outlets including the Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, New York Times, Toronto Star, NOW Magazine. "Lucas Silveira, has an impressively consistent formula for writing catchy, stick-in-your-brain tunes that have all but perfectly translated to disc" Evan Davies, NOW Magazine.
DIRTY KING was the bands second release. The album was produced by heavy hitter Sylvia Massey (Tool, Prince, Johnny Cash) and displayed a topless, bruised and beaten image of Silveira as boxer on the cover, an image that portrayed the state of his psyche. The first "out" male transgender to be signed to a major record label drew publicity and controversy, but it was taking it's toll on the band, and on Silveira's personal life. Two weeks after the CD release, the band members left and Lucas was left with the choice to keep going or throw in the towel.
He also recognized that his personal life had to take precedent if he was to move forward in his music career. After 5 years of living as a man but appearing to most as a woman, the image in the mirror needed to match the image internally. The voice coming through the speaker never felt familiar. "It was the strangest thing really. I would sing a track then come out to the control room to listen back and I would think to myself "THAT'S NOT ME!" It just made no sense. I told myself it would be the last record I ever made with that voice because I knew that, if I couldn't hear the truth in it, how could anyone else."
In 2009, Lucas took the opportunity to take a hiatus from the band to follow a very personal life-changing venture and began the formal process of testosterone hormone therapy, something he had been told by Doctors could cost him his singing voice. Knowing that his current existence was leading him down a road of deep depression, he felt his only option was to venture into the unknown and not let his fears dictate his choices
The result was a voice that was changed, deeper and huskier, but somehow more soulful, "I still can't put my finger on it, but when I sing with this voice, there is a familiarity with it that feels more comfortable than the voice previous. Which I find strange seeing this voice is so new. But at the same time, it's really not because inside, it's the voice I always heard. When I hear my old recordings, I can hardly believe that this body created that sound. It was a completely different person and I hear a deep sadness when I hear my old voice. It can actually be very painful for me to listen to."
In 2010, his rebirth landed him in Brooklyn, NY, a home away from home to concentrate on songwriting. He recorded a solo record Mockingbird and wrote new songs for The Cliks next music venture.
Lucas found his songwriting style growing and changing towards a more soul/blues/rock styling. " I started writing songs that I didn't know were in me. It was as though something in me opened up and didn't allow me to feel that I couldn't pull it off. I went along with what felt natural and what felt natural was all of these old soul influences. From Prince to Lenny Kravitz and Amy Winehouse. My deep fondness for the blend of soul and rock finally surfaced and now, with my new voice, I felt completely grounded in it." The result was a collection of songs that make up the new Cliks LP release BLACK TIE ELEVATOR.
BLACK TIE ELEVATOR (Scheduled for release in March 2013) was produced by Toronto based musician/singer/songwriter Hill Kourkoutis (Hill & The Sky Heroes, The Weeknd) who's understanding of Lucas' vision was integral to the final sound of the record.
While the songs on this album may be a surprise to many, loyal fans of The Cliks know that with Lucas, change is constant, though the foundation remains the same. Songs that are real and true, lyrics that speak a universal language and music that will move and bind you to those words.
No matter what the challenges that Silveira has faced, the vision he has had for The Cliks remains clear. When asked what that vision is, Silveira says "If it ain't true, it ain't worth it."
