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the killers in sonika, october 2006. photos by anthony mendler and anton corbijn (spread in the last 2 pages)

translation from spanish available thanks to @dayandage

(page edges) THE KILLERS | BANDS THAT MATTER

THE KILLERS: More than temptation and fake Elvises.

Inside this musical battle, in which there are thousands of new bands throwing guitars around, there are some bands that after their first album, look to win a new battle with their next production. In the case of the Killers, many will be surprised when listening to Sam’s Town, material that brought together good producers, a great photographer, and great songs to take the next step that many bands are afraid to take or don’t want to take in order to conform to moderate success.

For the tour of Sam’s Town, we had Brandon Flowers as a guide. The singer, keyboardist, and lyricist of the band has given us more clues about this record that’s been one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year that, believe it or not, will not disappoint anyone and will mark the birth of the trajectory of a great new band.

What did The Killers offer you that none of your previous bands did?

A voice. Nobody really knew about my older projects. This project has let me meet people all over the world.

What did Las Vegas influence?

There has always been an element of Las Vegas in our music. I think myself in particular, I’ve been influenced by the image of a frontman like Frank Sinatra or Elvis. All of those images of casinos and shows have been in my head as I’ve lived in that place. It’s always been in our blood to create a rock group for the people.

The Killers offer something completely different than what Las Vegas usually offers, like fake Elvises or temptation on every corner…

We don’t care if someone who may not know of Las Vegas relates us to that ambient. For example, when people talk about Liverpool, they think about the Beatles, or when people talk about Manchester, they think about the Smiths, or the Flaming Lips, or Oklahoma. I hope we’re doing the same thing with Las Vegas, so one day the city feels proud of itself.

Did you ever think that Hot Fuss would be so successful?

You never really know what can happen. When we recorded the album we were enchanted with our songs, above all the thought of playing them live. We were very fortunate with everything that happened with that album… Just thinking about it makes me smile. Hot Fuss opened a lot of doors for us and helped us leap over things that most bands have to learn with time. As such, we don’t feel that much pressure to take risks and try things to stand out.

The part of the song, “All These Things That I’ve Done,” that says, “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.” Where did that come from?

I was at my sister’s house writing the lyrics in a bedroom and suddenly the sentence came to me. It’s one of those moments that you hope will happen, but you can’t force it to happen. That’s part of the interesting things about this career. It’s a gift from the universe. [laughs]

With the release of the second album, you could say that you’re now in a period where you can still experiment and make mistakes. A lot of bands that have been around for years would be jealous of the moment in time you’re currently living.

We’re in a difficult situation because we’re successful for something that we’ve already made and it would be easy to do the same thing again to keep that success. But, we’re growing and changing and I think it’s important to establish that in a song. In Sam’s Town, you’ll hear four completely different people than who we were in Hot Fuss. The songs are wiser, bolder, and more well rounded, so that’s why I think that songs are like a mirror. With this I understand why so many bands don’t make it.

Sam’s Town was produced by Alan Moulder and Floor, two of the most important producers of the 90’s. How did it feel to be in the studio with them?

We knew Alan already because he mixed Hot Fuss and we thought he would be ideal for this second album. He brought Flood, who had worked on Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins. To think that they’ve done something so spectacular together, we started to get nervous, because we knew that together they’d do something marvelous. We’re very lucky to be able to work with them. We really respect their opinions, because it’s good to have someone who has a lot of knowledge about producing.

What song from Sam’s Town do you think will sound best live?

Probably “Read My Mind.” It’s my favourite baby. "When You Were Young” is very emotional. “Bling (Confession of a King)" was one of the first songs we recorded for this record. It’s a song that transports you to different places. It’s one of those songs that make you part of the song as you listen to it. It’s weird to explain but that’s what happens to me.

Many songwriters write about personal experiences and others about what they see in life. Which are you?

I think I’m a bit of both. I love admiring my surroundings and writing things that are familiar to me. I’m also capable of writing about the things other people experience, because if I just wrote about things that happened to me, only a few people would be able to relate.

KILLERS FACTS

City of Origin: Las Vegas, Nevada

Before the Killers: Blush Response, the synthpop band in which Brandon Flowers played.

The Band: Brandon Flowers: Vocals. Dave Keuning: Guitar. Mark Stoermer: Bass. Ronald Vannucci Jr.: Drums.

What they did before The Killers: Flowers was a bell boy for the Gold Coast. David Keuning worked at a Banana Republic. Mark Storemer was a medicine deliveryman and was studying Philosophy. Ronnie Vannucci studied percussion, aside from being a wedding photographer for a church.

They debuted in: A gay bar called the Tramps

Discography: Hot Fuss (2004) Sam’s Town (2006… it released on October 2nd!)

Singles: From Hot Fuss: ‘Somebody Told Me,’ ‘Mr. Brightside’ ‘Smile Like You Mean It’ ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ From Sam’s Town: ‘When You Were Young’

Have you ever written a song so personal, that some time later you’re surprised by it?

It happened with this album. I’ve never mentioned someone so close to me in a song. ‘Uncle Jonny’ is about my actual uncle Jonny, my mom’s brother. He’s someone very important to me. In the song ‘Sam’s Town’ I wrote about my grandma Dixie. I feel strange singing these lyrics in the studio… moreso embarrassed at talking about someone so close, but at the end of the day, it came out really well.

Anton Corbjin worked with you for the art of the album and he usually creates a special connection with the band he’s working with (U2, Depeche Mode.) Are you starting a good working relationship with him?

We’ve always been fans of Depeche and U2 so we’ve always been interested in his work. When we met him we felt a special connection, he’s a great person. And if he doesn’t want to work with someone, he won’t, even if there’s a lot of money involved. He has good taste and very high standards. We realized that when we recorded ‘All These Things That I’ve Done.’

The video for “When You Were Young” was recorded at an hacienda in Tlayacapan, Morelos. When you came to shoot, was Mexico what you expected?

I had no idea what it was going to be like. I imagined it was going to be just mountains and fields. When we landed in Mexico City, I was very surprised, I thought it was going to be all desert. At first it was weird to film the video in Mexico because we already have desert in Vegas, but later I understood why they chose that location. It was a great experience and I’d love to go back.

Did you try the Tlacayapan sorbet?

No, what we did try was corn with chile and cheese (Esquites) and hot chocolate. Walking down those streets and trying that food was an experience we’d never had and it was really fun.

What similarities did you find between Las Vegas and Mexico?

Well, I feel that the people from both places are great. The people of Mexico were very welcoming to us and were happy to see us. They didn’t care that we had gringo accents. I liked that a lot.

When do you plan to come to Mexico?

Probably 2007. But we’re coming, I promise.

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