The Cliks on mtvU Freshman!

New York, NY - The Cliks' new music video "Savanna" has been officially added as one of the five competing videos on MTVU Freshman.

The winner will get regular rotation on MTVU and that’s 20-25 spins a week!  The video will spin on MTVU, on "The Freshman 5" show at least 15 times while the contest is going on!

The show spotlights emerging artists on air and online, with the chance for one of the videos to get an automatic add into rotation on the channel the following week. Fans can vote on these videos online, starting Monday 6/17, voting will end on Friday 6/28 at 2:00 PM (EST) and be tabulated. 

Let's make sure The Cliks take the prize home! 

After a five-year hiatus during which Lucas Silveira - the openly transgender lead singer of The Cliks - finally found his true voice (literally and figuratively speaking) - successfully going through a female to male transition process - he has now returned to the music scene with the a brand new Cliks album entitled “Black Tie Elevator”.

Silveira, now 33, made history in 2006, when he became the first out transgender man to be signed to a major record label. Silveira's band The Cliks, which formed in 2004, gained widespread acclaim after being featured on the soundtrack of the Showtime series "The L Word."

A stint performing alongside artists like Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright and Erasure on Cyndi Lauper's 2007 "True Colors" tour brought additional attention to Silveira and his bandmates.  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.In 2007, the Toronto Star deemed a transgender "pop heartthrob," a title he cemented in 2010 when he was voted the “Sexiest Canadian Man” in a Chart Attack end-of-year survey.  

After half a decade of living as a man but appearing to most as a woman, he began the formal process of testosterone hormone therapy. The result was a voice that was changed, deeper and huskier, but somehow more soulful. In 2010, his rebirth landed him in Brooklyn, NY, a home away from home to concentrate on songwriting. He recorded a solo album “Mockingbird” and wrote new songs for The Cliks next music venture, the blues and Motown-inspired "Black Tie Elevator".

Transgenderism has been a hot topic lately particularly with the recent CNN interview of Kristin Beck, a former Navy Seal, who transitioned from man to woman and chronicled her life-changing experience in her book "Warrior Princess": http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/07/us/transgender-veteran/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

We also remember Jenna Talackova, the 23-year-old who forced Donald Trump to end a ban on transgender pageant contestants; not to mention ABC announcement that Chaz Bono had joined the popular "Dancing with Stars" primetime TV show a couple of years ago; as well as last year's breaking news about Tom Gabel, lead singer of "Against Me", who transitioned from man to woman and was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine.

Yet controversy is still swirling around the transgender issue as a majority of people still do not grasp the concept of transitioning from one gender to another. 

Learning about transgender lives can break stereotypes and help audiences see the human side of an issue they may not have encountered personally.

More than a story simply about a transgender’s ordeal, Lucas' tale is about an extraordinary journey into happiness and being at peace with oneself having found his true voice.

Here’s the link for voting:  http://www.mtvu.com/music/american-authors-breaking-laces-bridges-and-powerlines-max-gomez-the-staves/

Please note that voting is unlimited - fans can literally vote all day long for the video. 

(ABSOLUTELY NO VOTING ROBOTS!  USE OF BOTS WILL GET YOU DISQUALIFIED)

Lucas Silveira (THE CLIKS) Announces March 2013 Release

Awesome LGBTQ music news for you gays right here on All Things Lesbian!

Toronto, Canada – Lucas Silveira, the openly transgender lead singer of Toronto alt-rock band The Cliks, returns to the music scene after a 5 year-hiatus with a highly-anticipated new LP dubbed “Black Tie Elevator” dropping March 2013.

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. 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.                                                                                                                  

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 alongside Margaret Cho, Debbie Harris, Erasure, The Gossip and The Indigo Girls to name a few.

The first “out” male transgender to be signed to a major record label, which drew as much publicity as controversy, he also became the first transgender man voted “Sexiest Canadian Man” by ChartAttack.com The Cliks have made headlines for their gender-bending style, being compared to David Bowie and other musical fashionistas. But Lucas’ rock icon take on the classic suit comes with the genuine desire to just be himself. Lucas is one of those beautiful people who lays it all on the table - uncensored.

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.  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. In 2010, his rebirth landed him in Brooklyn, NY, a home away from home to concentrate on songwriting. He recorded a solo album “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. 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.

But we wouldn’t expect anything less from Lucas, an artist at heart who doesn't hold anything back in his music or in his life.

When he’s not creating music, Lucas can be found drawing and painting, acting, writing and doing public speaking events at Colleges & Universities on his personal story and experiences.

He has successfully sold many pieces of art on line and will be concentrating on creating a full body of work for an art exhibition. Notably, the cover for the new The Cliks record Black Tie Elevator, is a self portrait painted by Lucas.

As an actor, Lucas played the role of “Jimmy” in Phi-Films (Montreal, QC) award winning short film titled “HOPE” by award wining director Pedro Pires. He is currently preparing to play the male lead role in the short film “CANDY” by Cassandra Cronenberg, daughter of infamous director David Cronenberg.

Lucas currently lives in Toronto, Canada with his beautiful fiancée Skye Chevolleau who can be heard singing on the track 4 Letter featured on Black Tie Elevator.

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.”