Brandon Flowers Opens Up About His “Natural” Move Into Solo Music

Brandon Flowers believes the songs on his latest album Thrasher were a "natural" choice for a solo project instead of being released as another The Killers album.

The 45-year-old singer started putting the record together soon after The Killers completed their 2021 album Pressure Machine, but he eventually realized the material "didn't feel" right for the band because of how deeply personal the songs were to him.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, he said: “I really enjoyed making this. It was a very important record to me. I didn’t want to leave it alone, so I just continued. It was such a revelation.

“I had all these memories, all these characters and sadness — all of this stuff that I could now find a place for and turn them into something.

“These songs don’t feel like Killers songs — they’re quite personal, so it felt natural that it should be a solo record. It’s been nearly ten years since the last one — I can’t believe it.”

Country influences run throughout Thrasher, largely inspired by Brandon's father Terry, and the singer admitted that he still wants to prove to his dad that he can make music he would be proud of.

He said: "Much has been said about how my love of music came from my brother [Shane]. Yeah, it did, but at the same time, I was hearing country music from my dad. His favourites were the heavy hitters — Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard — along with some of those who were not as famous. There’s a guy named John Conlee who he listened to, who I really love.

"As a teenager, I felt I had to choose — the kid who listens to New Order doesn’t also listen to Waylon Jennings.

“As I get older, I just seem to gravitate back to my father’s music.

“I’m trying to show my dad that I can do what he does. He’s a good man. He’s doing pretty good.

“He had open heart surgery at 81, which is a difficult thing. He’s five months past it now and is pretty good.”

Brandon is also getting ready to take Thrasher on tour and has promised audiences a very different kind of concert compared with the huge and polished stadium performances associated with The Killers.

He explained: “I’ve got a band together. This tour is going to be a different experience than you are accustomed to.

“I’m going to tell more stories and take advantage of these smaller rooms — the Albert Hall is the biggest room I’m playing.

“I want to explain the story behind the songs, which you can’t do in a stadium — so I thought this would be the time to give it a shot.

“I worry people will get sick of Mr. Brightside so I feel lucky that I have different outlets for my music.”