The Killers biography

 

As they matured from their indie dance-rock roots into torchbearers of new wave and Americana-inspired anthems, Las Vegas rock quartet the Killers earned global success. With a mix of '80s-styled synth pop and fashionista charm, the band's multi-platinum 2004 debut, Hot Fuss, became one of the decade's biggest releases, spawning four hit singles -- including their most enduring hit, "Mr. Brightside" - and catapulting the group into the international spotlight. After the abrupt stylistic shift on 2006 sophomore effort Sam's Town -- which de-emphasized the group's new wave revivalism in favor of the heartland rock of Bruce Springsteen and Rattle and Hum-era U2 -- they struck a balance between their two sides on a consistent run of Top Ten releases that peaked with 2017's chart-topping Wonderful Wonderful.

Founding foursome Brandon Flowers (vocals/keyboards), David Keuning (guitar), Mark Stoermer (bass), and Ronnie Vannucci (drums) first came together in 2002, two years before Hot Fuss introduced their band to the public. Flowers had been sacked by his former synth pop band, Blush Response, after refusing to move to Los Angeles with the rest of his bandmates. Instead, he remained in Las Vegas, where he soon met local guitarist and Oasis fanatic Keuning. The two began collaborating on material; within weeks, they'd composed their soon-to-be radio hit "Mr. Brightside." Stoermer, a former medical courier, and Vannucci, a classical percussion major at UNLV, eventually joined the fray, and the band began playing small clubs in its hometown. A U.K. representative for Warner Bros. caught wind of the Killers' brewing hype, and although he neglected to bring them on board the Warner roster, he did pass along their demo to the London-based indie imprint Lizard King. The British label quickly signed the Killers, who temporarily moved to the U.K. and issued a limited-edition single for "Mr. Brightside."   By 2006, Hot Fuss had earned five Grammy nominations and sold over five million copies. Rather than take a break to recover from their heavy tour regime, the Killers immediately set to work on a second album. A newly built facility at the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas became the band's studio, and legendary producers Flood and Alan Moulder (who had previously worked together with U2 and the Smashing Pumpkins) were chosen to helm the controls. Instead of mining the glamour and glitz of their hometown (as they did to a successful extent on Hot Fuss), the group instead focused on nostalgia and the demise of old-fashioned American values, citing veteran songsmith Bruce Springsteen as a chief influence.

The popularity generated by leadoff single "When You Were Young" led up to the highly anticipated release of Sam's Town in early October 2006. While the album did not match the popularity of the band's debut, it nevertheless sold 700,000 copies worldwide during its first week, eventually spawning three U.S. singles and gaining the Killers two additional Grammy nods.

 

The Killers returned in 2008 with Day & Age and in early 2011, the band got to work on its fourth studio album, enlisting a small army of notable producers. The resulting Battle Born was released in September 2012. The set peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, while lead single "Runaways" landed on the Hot 100.

In 2015, the Killers began working on new material for their fifth studio album, eventually choosing producer Jacknife Lee to helm the bulk of the tracks. The resulting album, 2017's Wonderful Wonderful, featured cameos by Mark Knopfler and Brian Eno, as well as the radio hit "The Man." It debuted at number one on the U.K., Australian, and U.S. charts. Before the Killers embarked on the road to support the album, the band announced that Mark Stoermer and David Keuning would not be participating in the tour, yet they had not left the group. Flowers and Vannucci forged forth, traversing the globe with touring musicians Jake Blanton, Ted Sablay, Robbie Connolly, and Taylor Milne.