Cilver Premieres New Video "Say You Will" + PV Q&A
The hand-printed piano in Cilver's new video for "Say You Will" is more than just a cool prop -- it's a charity initiative. The New York rockers [formerly known as Me Talk Pretty] have teamed with Bidding For Good and the PGA Tour's Together Anything's Possible organization to auction off the piano, with all proceeds benefiting World Pneumonia Day. Using their recently-wrapped headlining tour as a platform, the band asked audience volunteers from each of their live shows to personally hand-print the piano, collecting the support of people from all over the country. Check out the video's premiere, learn more about their initiative in their PV Q&A, and stay tuned to their socials for more information on when the piano will be auctioned off.
PureVolume: Can you give us some background on how this initiative came to be in the first place?
Cilver: In 2009, [vocalist] Uliana's mother passed away unexpectedly of a very treatable disease, Pneumonia. It was a very difficult time for her, her family, and the band. We vowed that when we were at a point to advocate and make a difference, we would not hesitate to do so. When we were offered the opportunity to go on a 44-city national tour, we wanted to make use of the platform and have our voices heard [in regards to] health insurance and pneumonia.
PV: How did the hand-printing process work during your live shows? Did you make the announcement during your set and then have fans come afterwards to hand-print the piano?
C: We had the piano on stage the whole time. It was wheeled out during our performance and we basically broke down the set to create a moment where Uliana could speak about our initiative and our story. We asked for volunteers to come up and put their hand-print on the piano. It was so hard to pick just one -- and honestly, we ended up picking more than one sometimes.
PV: Did you know from the beginning you wanted to donate the profits to benefit World Pneumonia Day?
C: We did not have a charity in mind when we first started. We heard a lot of suggestions from our friends and family, and encouraged fans to tell us where the money from the sale of the piano should go to. However, at the end of the day, it was a no brainer, considering our personal experiences with Pneumonia.
PV: How did your partnership with PGA come into play, and what role did it play in the overall project?
C: The tour made a stop in Jacksonville, FL and in attendance was this really cool, blue-haired girl, dancing and singing with us up front. We picked her to put the hand-print on the piano that night. Her father, touched by the story and the moment that we created that night, walked up to us and offered his help. He works with The PGA Tour [Together Anything’s Possible] charity organization. He has been an advisor to the project, and has produced a video piece/interview that will come out soon!
PV: How many hand-prints were you able to collect in total?
C: There are 88 hands on the Piano, including ours and other band members from the tour!
PV: When will the auctioning of the piano take place?
For more information on World Pneumonia Day, or to donate to the cause, check out the organization's official website.
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