A Chat With Lucas Silveira of The Cliks

The Cliks' frontman Lucas Silveira talked with Ferndale Patch this week about touring, the band's new album, his recent gender transformation and a charity collaboration with Cyndi Lauper ahead of the group's gig Thursday at The Loving Touch in Ferndale. 

The Cliks are back after a five-year hiatus during which the transgender lead singer underwent testosterone treatments that gave his voice a deeper, bluesier sound, fitting for the band's latest record "Black Tie Elevator."

"People have told me they thought it was going to be hard to get used to and now favor the new sound," he said. "The most common thing I've heard is that it's genuine and that makes me feel really happy because it's the truth and that truth is cutting through."

Silveira said truth is a key component to his writing.

"(I write best) off the road when I'm living in real life," he said. "It's when I've had a chance to live and have things happen. You have to go home and communicate with real human beings."

But, life on the road has its perks, too, said Silveira, who got to perform duets with pop icon Cyndi Lauper when The Cliks joined her multi-artist True Colors Tour in 2007 and 2008.

"She's great. She's a really, really energetic performer," Silveira said. "I once asked her how she performs 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' with passion after 20 years. 'It's for them (the audience), it's not for me,' she said. That was a big lesson for me."

Silveira and The Cliks invite fans to support the True Colors Fund, which Lauper co-founded, by participating in the Pledge Music Campaign during their tour. The campaign gives donors virtual backstage access to the band's website and the opportunity to score VIP tickets, a signed guitar and more.

Read on to find out what Silveira said via e-mail about "Black Tie Elevator," what he thinks about Detroit and Ferndale and his gender transformation.

"Black Tie Elevator" is partially Motown-inspired. Can you tell me more about that?

I've always loved that Motown sound and grew up listening to it. I first listened to Artists like Michael Jackson, Prince and Terence Trent D'Arby and they cited Motown and soul music as major influences, which was my introduction to the music. I got deeply into Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding and Smokey Robinson and it all just very recently resurfaced in me. I think it's mainly because soul music is very much reliant on the passion of the singer so I think that's where I felt the need to explore this part of myself this round.

You've performed in Detroit before; what's your take on the city?

I've always seen Detroit as our neighbours being Canadian. I know it's a bit of a rough town and has seen its share of trouble economically but there is something about coming to a place with such working class roots that makes me feel connected to the people because that's where I come from.

Will this be your first time performing in Ferndale? If so, what are you expecting?

Yes first time! I'm not sure to be honest. The name of the town makes me feel like it will be "green" but that's about as much as I'm expecting. Flowers and bushes. Ha, ha!

How has your gender transformation impacted your connection with audiences, if at all?

I'm just coming into this but I think many of my lesbian fans have backed off because I think they stopped seeing themselves in me, something I think many of them weren't probably aware they were doing in the first place. The physical transformation I think has also left me more wiggle room for mainstream audiences because I think that the visual changes are what have helped people understand that this is a real thing.

Why did you decide to publicly discuss your experience? What message do you hope to convey?

It wasn't really a decision. I just need to keep it real and in doing that I just happen to be open and honest in my experience. I don't have a message but if anything, it would be cool to create a space of visibility and normalcy for people like me.

If you go

• When: Doors at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9.
• Where: The Loving Touch in Ferndale.
• Cost: $10 in advance or $12 at the door (click here to buy tickets).
• What else: The show is for fans 18 and older with valid identification. Steffie and the Dirty Virgins also will perform. The Cliks also will play June 1 during Ferndale Pride.