The Killers At Large by: Mark Yarm

FHM

They rocked the world with their debut album, Hot Fuss. Now, The Killers return with a follow-up they claim is one of the best albums in decades. Frontman Brandon Flowers talks to FHM about Sam's Town.

Your new album, Sam’s Town, is named after a casino in your hometown of Vegas. What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen in LV?
When I was a bellboy at the Gold Coast, I was on break and I heard someone freaking out on my walkie-talkie. They sounded scared and there was screaming for security, but I didn’t pay much attention—I was eating. When I came up later, the situation was still happening. A hooker was fighting a john, hitting him with her heels. The weird thing was, that night my mom had to go to the ER. When I visited her, I saw that guy getting treated. He was bleeding from his face—the hooker got him pretty good.

You’ve boasted that Sam’s Town is “one of the best albums in the past 20 years.” People say you’re cocky.
I’m just being honest. It does make people want us to fail. But Sam’s Town is right up there with OK Computer, Achtung Baby and Nevermind.

You recently feuded with Fall Out Boy and called emo “dangerous.” Seriously, how can emo guys be considered dangerous?
I’ve apologized for my comments. I don’t mean any ill will toward anyone. I’m still getting used to being in the position I’m in. If I worked at McDonald’s and somebody asked me my opinion about Fall Out Boy, nobody would care.

Your new song “Why Do I Keep Counting?” is about your fear of flying. You seeing a therapist for that?
Yeah, weekly. When I fly now, I listen to a tape of a session I had with the good doctor. I hear him talking and let my body become a blob. I’d never flown before I was in the Killers. One thing that set me over the edge was the time a woman died on one of my flights. I still don’t know what happened, but I’d been asleep for probably 10 minutes when I woke up to screaming and saw the steward pumping on this lady’s chest. It was traumatic. I tried not to watch.

Any other mile-high freakouts?
We flew over tornadoes in Texas once. It was scary and terrible, like King Kong was punching the airplane. There were a lot of people praying and crying—I was doing a little of both.

The Killers’ album Sam’s Town is out now.

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