THE KILLERS: Vital Signs

“Plus, with ‘Hung Up’-the Madonna song-Stuart also proved that he’s got an amazing pop sensibility,” says Flowers. But if Price’s chart-bound hand has bolstered “Neon Tiger,” another memorable song on Day and Age, The Killers are still to be credited for the song’s unwavering hook and what just may be Flowers’ richest, most powerful vocal performance yet.

Flowers credits one lone vocal lesson for boosting his confidence behind the microphone. “It was amazing what I learned in that one half hour,” he says. “I’ve learned control and how to get up there in range and still push it. It gave me a lot of confidence.”

One might think that after selling millions of records globally, the Killers would have plenty of self- assurance, but Flowers-who was publicly critical of his failure to tell a story on the group’s second album-evidently read reviews of that disc. Many were positive, but one from Rolling Stone read, “On Sam’s Town they seem like they’re trying to make a big statement, except they have nothing to say,” can’t help by standout.

“I think you can always do better,” says Flowers. “An awakening for me was Arcade Fire’s Neon Bible record. The lyrics just blew my mind. It felt so in line with what was happening right now. But it was good because it lit a fire under me and made me want to be a better writer. And now that the lyrics are finished, I’m really proud of the lyrics on this album.”

And Keuning thinks it’s a good idea to approach each new album like everything’s at stake. “It’s a good attitude to have because if this album were to stink, it really could be the end for us,” the guitarist says. “Every album we’re still trying to prove that we’re not only relevant, but one of the better bands out there-that we deserve to be on the radio. So there’s always something to prove. Look at U2, they’re the biggest band in the world and they’re still trying to prove something with their albums.”

Ever prolific, The Killers aspire to defy the existing approach of rock’s biggest bands, where acts like U2 and Green Day produce a proper new studio album every three or four years. Recalling the mid-1980s, when R.E.M., The Smiths and The Cure would put out new albums every fifteen months with new singles in between, the band dropped two studio albums and a compilation in just three years.

“That was definitely the idea behind Sawdust,” Flowers says. “To put these lesser known songs out and sneak in a few new ones-which was really exciting. We had those songs in the moment and we were able to get them out to everyone quickly. And we’d like to keep doing things like that in the future, whether it’s an EP or whatever.”

Sawdust also allowed The Killers to collaborate with one of their idols, Lou Reed. “We have a lot of heroes that we look up to, so when you’re able to do a song with one of them, its tremendously fulfilling,” Keuning explains. “Whether it’s Lou Reed or maybe someday, Paul McCartney…”

“But, we’ve had some good experiences and bad ones just meeting people,” Flowers says with a laugh, acknowledging face time with the likes of Morrissey, Bono and many more.

“It is a little awkward,” Keuning concedes. “We’ve met a lot of people now. And for me, I’d rather not meet some of my heroes, especially if it’s going to turn out badly. Billy Corgan [of the Smashing Pumpkins] was nice, so I don’t regret that. And David Bowie was nice, but it was very brief, so it was hard to gauge meeting him.”

“One time in Mexico City I got to hang out with [The Cure’s] Robert Smith and we were at this weird club, and I really just stared at him for like three hours,” Flowers says, laughing out loud at the memory. “We talked, but it’s really a little strange because I hold him in such high regard. Others were a lot smoother. Like Bernard Sumner from New Order, we were able to hang around and talk. Or Elton John, he was great. I think it may be about being with them over and over. You get used to it.”