Lucie Silvas

Biography

Lucie Joanne Silverman (born 4 September 1977), known professionally as Lucie Silvas, is a British singer-songwriter best known for her 2004 debut single "What You're Made Of×What You're Made Of4 October 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1What You're Made Of2Love You This Much3Build Your World Around", drawn from her first album Breathe In×Breathe In11 October 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Don't Look Back2The Game Is Won3Last Man Standing4Forget Me Not5Breathe In6Nothing Else Matters7Without You8Meme Si (What You're Made Of)9Twisting The Chain10No Defence11The Longer We're Apart12Like You Love Me13Seven Veils14What You're Made Of—itself a hit in the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Early life

Silvas was born in Kingston upon Thames, England. Her father is from New Zealand and is of Jewish descent; and her mother is Scottish and is Christian.
Silvas learned to play piano at the age of 5, and had written her first song by age 10. She relocated many times between her parents' native countries as well as England.

2000–02

In 2000, Silvas signed to EMI Records. In June 2000, she released her debut single, "It's Too Late×It's Too Late2000 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1It's Too Late (radio version)3:522It's Too Late (album version)3:543Stay the Way5:454It's too Late (video)", which peaked at No. 62 in the UK Singles Chart. An album, entitled Forget Me Not×Forget Me Not2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Forget Me Not3:182The Look of Love3:013Still3:14, was also planned for release but EMI terminated her contract after the poor reception of the single.
In 2001, Chrysalis Records (an EMI subsidiary) contacted her, this time for songwriting. She signed a publishing contract and, despite being without a record label to release her music, she continued writing and had songs recorded and released by British artists including Sarah Whatmore, Will Young, Gareth Gates, Rachel Stevens and Liberty X. Several of Silvas' songs for other artists have become chart hits.

2003–05: Breathe In

In 2003, Silvas recorded a duet with the Spanish singer Natalia called "This Time", and in 2004 she also wrote the first single off Natalia's third album, entitled "Sombras" (Shadows). The same year, Silvas also wrote "I'm Not Your Girlfriend" for the Spanish singer Cristie.
In 2003, Silvas signed a recording contract of her own with Mercury Records. She recorded her second album, Breathe In×Breathe In11 October 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 14 tracks1Don't Look Back2The Game Is Won3Last Man Standing4Forget Me Not5Breathe In6Nothing Else Matters7Without You8Meme Si (What You're Made Of)9Twisting The Chain10No Defence11The Longer We're Apart12Like You Love Me13Seven Veils14What You're Made Of, which was to become her official debut album in October 2004. Produced by Mike Peden, much of Breathe In was co-written with Judie Tzuke, for whom Silvas sang backing vocals for many years. BBC Radio 2 commissioned a radio show to track Silvas' development in the music industry, supporting her career, and adding her tracks to their playlist. The first single from the album, What You're Made of×What You're Made Of4 October 2004 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1What You're Made Of2Love You This Much3Build Your World Around, entered the official UK charts at number 7, and the following week the album debuted and peaked at number 11 (returning to this position in early 2005). Following TV appearances on the Ivor Novello Elton John tribute show, and "All Time Greatest Love Songs" with Ronan Keating, Silvas released her second single from the album, "Breathe In", which debuted at number 6, her highest UK chart peak to date. Silvas then released further singles; "The Game Is Won×The Game Is Won2 May 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1The Game Is Won4:022Sliding Down4:063What You're Made Of (Live)3:52" and "Don't Look Back×Don't Look BackSingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Don't Look Back2Twisting the Chain (acoustic version)3Better Love Next Time (demo)" which peaked at numbers 38 and 34 respectively.

Following the release of the "Breathe In" single in Britain, Silvas took her music to Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands, where she released a special Europe-only single, "Nothing Else Matters×Nothing Else Matters4 November 2005 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Nothing Else Matters3:072Breathe In (live - Denmark)3:31", a cover of the Metallica song. The Breathe In album was also re-released in the Netherlands as a special 2-disc edition, featuring a full live concert recorded there. She also re-recorded "What You're Made Of" for the Spanish and French markets, working with Antonio Orozco and Grégory Lemarchal respectively. A special re-recorded version of the song, featuring the Metropole Orchestra, was released as the fourth and final single from the album in the Netherlands.
With Breathe In certified Platinum in the UK, Silvas embarked on her second UK tour starting in Brighton on 2 November 2005.

2006–07: The Same Side

Silvas's second album, The Same Side×The Same Side20 October 2006 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks · 2 discsDisc 11Last Year4:082Sinking In3:543The Same Side4:184Trying Not to Lose2:535Something About You3:516Place to Hide3:447Right Here4:118Counting3:149Already Gone4:0510Alone3:4811Passionate You3:2312Everytime I Think of You / Stolen7:16Disc 21Breathe In (live in Denmark)3:312What You're Made Of (live at Whitfield Street)4:163Twisting the Chain (acoustic version)3:534Forget Me Not (live in London)3:095The Longer We're Apart (live in Hamburg)8:28, was recorded in 2006. Produced by Danton Supple (who had produced Coldplay's X&Y album), it was released first in the Netherlands in October 2006. A duet with Marco Borsato, "Everytime I Think of You", was released as the first single in the Netherlands, charting at No. 35 on downloads only, and topping the Dutch Top 40 in the next 3 weeks, becoming her first Number 1 single. A DVD of The Same Side has also been released in the Netherlands.
"Last Year×Last Year23 October 2006 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Last Year4:082Morning to a Child3:25" was the first single from the album in the UK and Ireland, premiering on BBC Radio 2 in late August 2006, though it failed to chart. Following this setback, Mercury Records decided to postpone the UK release of the album, which had been scheduled for October 2006. A second single, "Sinking In", was released as a download only single on 5 March 2007 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, though this too failed to chart. The album was finally released in the UK on 12 March 2007, charting at No. 62 on the UK Albums Chart in its first week before falling out of the Top 100 the following week.

2008–16: Letters to Ghosts

After The Same Side failed to impact on the charts, Silvas was subsequently dropped by her label. She has spent time working on new music in Nashville, Tennessee and New York City, as well as in studios in the UK. Several demos have been recorded and posted to various sites on the internet such as Silvas' official Myspace page. In August 2009, Silvas revealed that she was writing with Australian singer Delta Goodrem, and has also co-written tracks for Katharine McPhee's album Unbroken. In September 2009, Silvas also told fans on Twitter she was working on getting new material out in 2010 and was also planning a European tour. In February 2010, Silvas spent some time in the studio with Nadine Coyle of Girls Aloud.
In February 2011, Silvas revealed content from her then-forthcoming album, Letters to Ghosts×Letters to Ghosts18 September 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Letters to Ghosts3:282Smoke4:253Find a Way3:134Roots5:085Unbreakable Us3:536How to Lose It All3:197Shame3:428Pull the Stars Down3:529Villain3:3510Happy4:3511You Got It5:23. Tracks including "Happy", "Reset", "Smoke (Somebody Stop Me)" and "Roots" – the last of which was offered as a free download prior to the album's release through SoundCloud in April 2011. She has also supported Jamiroquai on their 2011 tour. On 8 June 2011, Silvas then posted that she had finished recording her album.
In July 2011, Silvas worked on some new songs with Una Healy of The Saturdays on a song called "Last Call", written by Silvas, Healy and Chris Holmes that featured on The Saturdays' album On Your Radar.
In early 2013 Silvas wrote songs for NBC's musical drama, Smash. Her songs, including "Heart Shaped Wreckage", "Pretender", "Don't Let Me Know" and "Calling Out My Name", appear in Hit List, a staged concert based on the fictional musical created for that show's second season.
In 2014, Silvas sang "Little Civil Wars", a duet with Dave Barnes, on his Golden Days project.
On 3 February 2015, Lucie released her self-titled EP in the US and Canada, just before its release in Europe. Produced by Silvas, John Osborne and Ian Fitchuk, the new album is released on Silvas' own label, "Furthestpoint", via Caroline Records.
Letters to Ghosts was officially released on 18 September 2015. Silvas co-wrote the song "Smoking Jacket" and provides backing vocals for Miranda Lambert on her 2016 album, The Weight of These Wings.

2017–present: E.G.O.

Silvas performed at the O2 Arena in March 2017 as part of the C2C: Country to Country festival and debuted two new songs, "Just for the Record" and "My Old Habits", before revealing that new music would be released in 2018.
On 31 May 2018, Silvas announced her fourth studio album, E.G.O.×E.G.O.24 August 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Kite3:222Girls from California3:503Smoking Your Weed3:174I Want You All to Myself4:195Black Jeans5:076First Rate Heartbreak4:217Everything Looks Beautiful4:598People Can Change3:589My Old Habits3:2810Just for the Record4:0811E.G.O.4:1712Change My Mind4:11, and released the lead single, "Kite", the same day. The album was released on 24 August 2018.

Personal life

In 2015, Silvas married John Osborne, of the country duo Brothers Osborne. Osborne announced at the 56th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2022 that Silvas was pregnant with twins. Her twins, a boy and girl, were born in March 2023.