TALKING TO A KILLER: BRANDON FLOWERS
By Team JamBase May 22, 2007 • 12:00 am PDT

By: Martin Halo
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With the advent of cable television and other large corporate media outlets, artistic borders have shrunk drastically in this new, unified mainstream world. The byproduct of this change is an American public who, in the majority, believes the success or merit of a musician rests within MTV Countdowns and American Idol voting. For those of us who know better, rock ‘n’ roll is still strong in hearts and in the minds of the people. It thrives on stepping out of the box, away from force fed formulas, all in the gamble to experience something real. And there’s no better example of this modern cultural melting pot than Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Emerging onto the scene in 2004 with Hot Fuss, The Killers were pop music darlings cashing in on a flurry of masterfully crafted singles including “Mr. Brightside,” “All These Things That I’ve Done” and “Smile Like You Mean It.” Consisting of Flowers (vox/keyboards), Dave Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass) and Ronnie Vannucci (drums), the band is currently touring in support of their follow-up, Sam’s Town, which was released last October on Island Records.
“There have been a few times in my life when music has just struck me,” says Flowers. “I used to hear my brother playing The Cure from his room. It was like a forbidden thing because he would hide himself in there and listen to his records and cassettes. There was something exciting about it because he was older and cool and I wasn’t allowed to be in there. There were all these weird posters on his walls [laughs]. But, what I liked about The Cure was the pop songs. It made me realize how powerful music could be.”
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Originating from Las Vegas, Flowers touches upon the tinsel music scene of Sin City’s desert. “People are lost in Las Vegas, but it’s not their fault. The radio market is getting a little better. I think there is a new station there now,” says Flowers. “It just seemed like everyone was really behind. Everybody was still doing Limp [Bizkit] and Korn within the clubs. I mean if that is what is in your heart and you love it, then so be it.”
Asked whether the isolation of the desert contributed to the time lapse, Flowers responds, “I think it was somewhat of that. I really don’t know why we were so behind on things. It was a great thing for us because we stood out! People just hated us [laughs]. I mean it was great because people publicly spoke about how much they hated us and it ended up giving me a chip on my shoulder. A chip usually isn’t a positive thing, but I looked at it that way because I feel that I have something to prove.”
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What Flowers was expressing struck me as uncommon and, even more, unexpected. Here are The Killers, a pop band in every sense of the word. They’re mainstays on MTV and VH1, adored by millions, but in the center of this industry induced chaos they’ve managed to keep their credibility. In the midst of legions of loyal fans, Flowers retains his personal ideology.
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“As an example, you are either Creed or you are Bright Eyes,” Flowers explains. “We have lost the people who are in the middle – artists that wanted to make statements, have their credibility AND played to 30,000 every night. That gap still hasn’t been fully filled. I think we are one of the bands that can do it but there is no place for it. There is no middle.”
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So how does a band like The Killers, The White Stripes or any of the other popular acts who actually have something to say balance fame with substance? It’s actually pretty simple – write good songs and bring them to the people. You don’t have to change your name or cut your hair or endorse Miller Light to be a musician that reaches the masses. On the flip side, the simple fact is that it’s okay to have your music heard by millions. Flowers is proof that you can exist in a big way in this industry while still holding tight to your artistic ethics.
Check out Backstage with JamBase:
The Killers at Vegoose
JamBase | Sin City
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