Imagine standing in front of thousands of people, hearing every word sung back to you, then walking offstage wondering if you ever want to do it again. That’s where Brandon Flowers says he is right now. As he prepares to release a new solo album, The Killers frontman admits he’s seriously questioning how much longer he wants to make music.
Speaking with The Times, Flowers said watching his father enjoy a much simpler life has made him rethink his own.
“My dad goes to yard sales, where he buys frames to take home and paint,” he said. “He’s never had any money in his life and he’s happier than I am.”
That realization has led to some difficult questions.
“I’m really going through it right now: how much longer do I want to do this, what does it mean, why am I doing it anyway?”
Flowers also admitted that touring continues to take its toll.
“Whenever I finish a tour, without fail I get sick.”
Still, he can’t ignore what happens when he steps onstage. Looking at Mick Jagger, who continues performing into his 80s, Flowers wonders what keeps him going.
“Then I think of Mick Jagger and ask myself: what keeps him getting up on that stage?”
His answer comes quickly.
“I guess it’s because there are powerful moments in a concert. How could I not want to do that?”
The comments come as Flowers prepares to release his third solo album, Thrasher, on August 21. The country-inspired record reflects on his childhood in Nephi, Utah, where his father introduced him to artists like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my way back to my father’s music — ‘Country-Western’ as he called it — and discovered that the stories I carry really feel most at home in the skin of this beautiful American tradition.”
Flowers has already released the singles “Plans” and “Paradise” from the album.
His search for authenticity isn’t new. In 2023, he revealed The Killers scrapped an album built around the singles “Boy” and “Your Side Of Town” because it no longer felt right.
“Halfway through recording I realised, ‘I can’t do this,'” he said. “This isn’t the kind of record… I don’t think you’ll see us making this type of music any more.”
Looking ahead, Flowers says the next Killers album won’t be rushed.
“We will not put it out unless it is the best,” he said. “It’s gotta be so good or it’s not worth it.”
For now, Brandon Flowers is balancing doubt with purpose, trying to figure out whether the magic of performing still outweighs everything it takes to get there.
Would you rather see an artist walk away on their own terms, or keep chasing those unforgettable moments on stage?
