Brandon Flowers Talks THRASHER, Elvis and MR. BRIGHTSIDE with Anthony Mason
The Killers frontman also revisits the origin of Mr. Brightside and a return to his Nephi, Utah roots.
Brandon Flowers, frontman of The Killers, discussed his new solo album THRASHER in a wide-ranging conversation with Anthony Mason on the latest episode of ALCHEMY WITH Anthony Mason. The interview covers Flowers' return to the country music of his youth in Nephi, Utah, the personal songwriting behind THRASHER, and the early days of The Killers, including his answer to guitarist Dave Keuning's classified ad in 2001.
Flowers' third solo album, THRASHER, marks a return to the country music he grew up hearing in Nephi, Utah, where he spent his formative years before returning to Las Vegas at 16. Recorded live in Nashville with a group of veteran session musicians, the album draws deeply from Flowers' family history and the people and places that shaped him.
Among its most personal songs is 'Miss America,' inspired by Flowers' older sister and her escape from an abusive marriage. Flowers tells Mason that writing the song helped him process what he witnessed as a child and ultimately brought him closer to his sister.
'You feel this bond that maybe wasn't there before,' Flowers says. 'And that can be a beautiful thing.'
Flowers also opens up about what he calls 'the most revealing song I've ever written,' 'An American Dream,' in which he imagines being picked up by Elvis Presley in a Tesla and asking the icon whether everything he sacrificed for his career was worth it. 'I give a lot and there's a price you pay,' Flowers tells Mason. 'There's things that I've missed out on.'
The conversation also traces Flowers' journey from a teenager singing to himself while working at a Las Vegas golf course to answering guitarist Dave Keuning's classified ad in 2001 and eventually becoming one of rock's most recognizable frontmen. Flowers revisits the creation of 'Mr. Brightside,' recalling the moment the song first came alive with a drummer: 'The hairs on my arms were standing up.'
More than 20 years later, Flowers says his definition of success has changed. Where he once waited to see what critics would say about a new Killers record, he has learned to trust his own instincts.
'Now I know there are moments on this record where it's like, it doesn't matter what they say, that's good,' Flowers says. 'It took me a long time to accept that.'
Flowers also reveals that THRASHER came out of an extraordinarily prolific period in which he wrote 23 lyrics and recorded enough material for two solo albums, with a second collection of love songs still to come. He also confirms that The Killers have been back in the studio working on new music.
About Alchemy with Anthony Mason
Alchemy with Anthony Mason is a long-form interview series exploring the creative process as an act of transformation. Through in-depth conversations with leading artists, musicians, and cultural figures, the series reveals how lived experience becomes artistic expression. Previous guests include Paul Simon, Hozier, MUNA, Nile Rodgers, Violet Grohl, Taj Mahal and Brittany Howard.
New episodes of Alchemy with Anthony Mason premiere every other Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. ET on YouTube.
About Anthony Mason
Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. And in 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award.
The episode also traces the creation of Mr. Brightside and Flowers' evolving relationship with success after more than two decades in music, with Flowers confirming that The Killers have returned to the studio to work on new material.
Photo Credit: John Tanner
Photo Credit: John Tanner
