NME caught up with Brandon Flowers backstage at The Ivors 2025 after he picked up the Special International Award from Bruce Springsteen, where he told us about the power. of the boss, the impact of Oasis and British music on his songwriting, his meetings with the Gallaghers, the 'Hot Fuss' anniversary tour, and plans for two new solo albums and new music from The Killers
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00:00Good afternoon, Mr. Brandon Flowers.
00:01How are you, ma'am?
00:02I'm not bad at all. How are you?
00:03Pretty good.
00:04You're looking well?
00:05Thank you, yeah. I'm relieved.
00:08To look so well?
00:10No, I'm relieved that it's over, you know.
00:13My speech was four minutes long,
00:16and I trimmed about a minute and a half off of it
00:19because I felt like it was too long.
00:21I'm happy it's... anyway.
00:22That's pretty good going,
00:22considering Bruce Springsteen was just over your shoulder.
00:25Yes.
00:26About half of it was kind of towards him,
00:29but he means a lot to me,
00:30and it really meant a lot that he would come
00:32and honor me with this.
00:34Well, how significant is that,
00:35that it's Bruce of all people?
00:36I mean, it's almost too much.
00:39I tried not to let this...
00:40I genuinely... I'm an emotional guy,
00:42and I know that this is not the crowd
00:45to really let that cut loose,
00:48so I was trying to just keep myself together.
00:50And 2003, the band are coming together.
00:53Did you ever imagine that you'd be here in London
00:55all these years later being recognized as...
00:57Well, it's been a magical thing.
00:59It really... I feel like it was yesterday.
01:00It was September 2003.
01:02We're staying at the Columbia,
01:03as, you know, like every young band should have at that time,
01:05and we were playing in these venues,
01:07and there were pictures of Blur on the wall
01:09and Oasis and Suede and things like that,
01:11and it was just... that was enough almost.
01:13That trip was almost enough.
01:15It was like, this is amazing.
01:16And it has just gotten better and better and better,
01:20and I just... I genuinely...
01:23I'm flabbergasted, and I also expect it at the same time.
01:29Somewhere in between there.
01:30What can you tell us about the importance of the UK
01:34in the story of your success
01:35and of British music in your DNA as a songwriter?
01:39It's always there.
01:40You know, I mentioned when I...
01:42Even when I'm writing about the desert
01:44or when I'm writing about rural Utah,
01:47there is... there's still something, I think,
01:49that you can recognize in my writing
01:51that it just can't be extracted.
01:53It is a part of who I am.
01:55It's the music that I fell in love with,
01:56and it's foundational for me,
01:58and I'm so grateful for it.
01:59I've met so many people.
02:02I'm in a peculiar position,
02:04but they say don't meet your heroes,
02:05but I'm so lucky I've gotten to meet so many of them,
02:08and they've all been beautiful to me,
02:09and I'm just... man, I'm feeling grateful.
02:13Have you met the Gallaghers?
02:14Because I understand Mr. Brightside was...
02:15Oh, yeah.
02:16No, it was...
02:17So...
02:18I don't know if I'm allowed to tell which side I'm on.
02:21I love them both.
02:22I love them both.
02:25They've both...
02:27Neither of them have said anything,
02:29you know, too degrading about the Killers,
02:32and...
02:33No, we've hung out with Liam a little bit,
02:36and hung out with Noel a little bit,
02:37and, you know,
02:38what they have contributed to the world
02:40is incredible,
02:41and it's amazing to see them back together.
02:43Are you on the guest list for the reunion tour?
02:45I'll be out there somewhere.
02:48And what's next?
02:49Because the last time we spoke,
02:50you spoke of a new Killers record.
02:52You said there was a third
02:54Brandon Flowers' solo record in the works.
02:55So the next thing we're going to get
02:56is a Brandon Flowers' record.
03:00Unfortunately.
03:03But it's so good.
03:06We'll see.
03:07Where does it take things from,
03:07the desired effects?
03:08That was awesome.
03:09It's actually going a step backwards.
03:11It's more in the Flamingo direction.
03:12I made two Southwest records,
03:14if you want to know the truth.
03:16And one is a romantic Southwest record,
03:18and one is a narrative Southwest record,
03:21which picks up on, you know,
03:23from where Pressure Machine left off.
03:24And I'm thrilled about both of them,
03:27and those will both come out
03:28before the next Killers record,
03:30but there will be another Killers record.
03:32Lyrically, what's inspiring you at the moment?
03:33Oh, just story.
03:35It's just being able to,
03:36that's another reason why Bruce is so important to me,
03:38is he gave me the, you know,
03:41permission to write about things
03:43that I actually know about,
03:46and that experiences that I've actually witnessed,
03:49and that I've lived.
03:51And there's something powerful about that,
03:53and it transcends.
03:53When people hear it,
03:54it doesn't matter where they are,
03:55they get it.
03:56They pick up the heart and the soul from it.
03:58And so those are the things
03:59that I'm able to tap into, yeah.
04:01And the next Killers record,
04:02is it chrome-plated like Boy and those singles?
04:05No, no, no.
04:06It's the album that was that.
04:08Yeah.
04:11I don't know what exactly it's going to be.
04:14I can't, it's a little bit too early to say.
04:16But it's got to be,
04:17we will not put it out unless it is the best.
04:21That's the thing.
04:22We've already discussed it.
04:23It's got to be so good,
04:26or else it's not worth it.
04:27All four members, larger than life?
04:28Yes, that's right.
04:29Amazing.
04:30And the heart first anniversary tour,
04:33is it coming to the UK?
04:35No, no, I'm sorry.
04:37Why do you hate us, Brandon?
04:38No, I don't.
04:39No, it's probably half the crowd
04:41at all of those shows.
04:42We did 13 shows.
04:43I guarantee you half the crowd was British.
04:45And I'm sorry that it was expensive,
04:47but it was probably worth it
04:48because those were fun shows.
04:48Yeah, amazing.
04:50What are you going to do
04:50when you leave this room?
04:50Hang out with Bono?
04:51Hang out with Robbie Williams?
04:52I got an invite, maybe.
04:53You know, Bono.
04:54Yeah?
04:54But I might not.
04:55I don't know.
04:55What's Bono's chat?
04:56Is Bono a good night out?
04:58Yeah, you know.
04:58It's interesting, but I don't know.
05:02We'll see what happens.
05:02You, Bono, Bruce Springsteen,
05:04Robbie Williams,
05:05all in one taxi.
05:07I think Bruce is headed to Belgium, but...
05:10Sweet.
05:10Brandon, thank you so much for your time.
05:26We'll see you next time.
05:27We'll see you next time.