The Cliks (Tommy Boy Records) L-R: Jen Benton, Lucas Silveira, Morgan Doctor and Nina Martinez (Photo by Kelly Davidson)
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By DAN RENZI
Thursday, May 15, 2008
“I am in the most bizarre place I have ever been in my life,” says Lucas Silveira, calling while taking a break from performing at an Olivia cruise. “I am in a Club Med Resort in Cancun. And there is all this beach, and ocean, and…we’re just here. Sitting. And drinking. Is this what you do out here?”
That “bizarre place” is perhaps a prophetic observation from Silveira, as he finds himself at a complicated crossroads. His band, The Cliks, has been a hit amongst LGBT music fans for years; but with the release of their 2007 album “Snakehouse,” the band caught the music world’s ear, landed on Craig Ferguson’s “The Late Late Show,” and has now been propelled them to concert dates across North America. Silveira faces the tough road of making it in the mainstream music industry, reaching out to fans who care more about what he has to say as an artist instead of who he is as a person.
At the first take, The Cliks play traditional rock music--mixed with a little bit of blues, a little bit of soul, a heavy dose of punk--that sounds current, fresh, and similar to what is happening in the industry today. But beyond the gritty lyrics and unique beats of the music, it’s Silveira himself that largely sets the band apart, as his band’s identity has become synonymous with the trials and tribulations of his personal life. Silveira is transgender; the rest of his band are “queer” women, as they choose to label themselves. But in the face of the media latching on to such scandal, they are wary of being locked up as a “queer band.”
“The media has been more focused on our sexual orientation and our gender identity because I’m trans and the girls are queer,” he says, “as opposed to the music. Focusing on that is a sure-fire way of isolating your audience.”
Media is a fickle friend, quick to move on once the new romance starts to fade, so there must be legitimate material to keep the hype moving. To that end, “Snakehouse” has become a cult hit among rock fans, with sophisticated rhythms and interesting melodies that move beyond the typical rock band sound. Despite his distaste for the “queer band” label, Silveira does credit this album’s success in part to his transgender experience. His first album, released in 2004 without much fanfare, was recorded while he still lived as a female.
“With our first album, there was a certain essence of strength that wasn’t penetrating,” he says. “I think the confidence in finally coming to terms with who I was, as a person, gave me that strength to say what I wanted to say, and not be careful about it. With ‘Snakehouse,’ the music’s much stronger, and richer, and in your face.”
Although Silveira writes most of their songs, they scored a hit by recording a rock version of Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River,” adding stronger guitars and a heavier tone.
“There is a sensuality that Justin Timberlake captures that not a lot of people do these days,” Silveira says. “Back in the day you have artists like Marvin Gaye or Sam Cook that have that sexy vibe--even George Michael had it. Now there is so much R&B music that’s just, you know, they can sing and they have a beat, but you can never feel the sort of groove. Justin Timberlake’s songs have that. The guy writes such great songs.”
aside, they have taken on the LGBT market with full force. Besides the previously-mentioned “bizarre” tour with Olivia cruises, The Cliks are headlining the Aqua Girl party in South Beach, and then it’s off to the fabled Times Square offices of MTV to perform at Logo’s NewNowNext Awards, which airs on June 7. They then hit the road with the True Colors Tour, the massive LGBT music festival. Silveira says they welcome their status in the queer music scene, but they do so with some caution.
“It’s a double-edge sword,” he says. “Yeah, it does give us publicity and that’s good, and we don’t have a problem being visible. But when that’s all that’s about, it becomes an issue. I’m not writing music because I’m trans. The girls in the band aren’t singing just because they’re queer. We’re doing this because we’re musicians. Me being trans isn’t an issue, other than the fact that every once in a while I look down and think ‘Hey, where’d my dick go?! Oh yeah, I never had one.’ And then I move on.”
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