In an "In The Life" interview, Silveira shared that the band's name derived from two ideas; using "The" like iconic bands The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and "Cliks" as a portmanteau of the slang terms "clit" and "dicks". A different Cliks lineup, consisting of Silveira, bassist Ezri Kaysen and drummer Heidi Chan, released an eponymous debut album in 2004. In Toronto's "NOW", reviewer Sarah Liss described the band's music as "what might happen if Chrissie Hynde and the Murmurs' Leisha Hailey fell in love, got Bowie to help out with insemination and gave birth to an indie rock love child."