Life on the Brightside from Hear/Say, September 2005
by Jeff Niesel.


The Killers Debut Continues to Make a Hot Fuss

What would you do if "you had a boyfriend who looked like a girlfriend I had in February of last year"? If you’re the Killers, you’d turn it into a neo-New Wave hit, as the Las Vegas-based group did with the catchy single "Somebody Told Me" that stormed up the charts when their 2004 debut Hot Fuss dropped. That album, just re-released in an enhanced version, is still going strong as the group continues to tour both the U.S. and Europe , where it hit well before making it big in the States. Speaking via phone from his tour bus parked at a stop in Minneapolis, guitarist David Keuning recently discussed the band’s success and how it has reintroduced a new audience to the sounds of the mid-’80s when bands like the Cure and New Order were big on college radio.

You played Live 8. What was that experience like?

That was crazy. Honestly, that was the biggest show we ever did. There probably won't be a bigger show again. It wasn't overwhelming in the sense that it made me nervous. I was maybe a little intimidated. The line-up had Sting, Madonna and Paul McCartney on it. Those were some pretty big names to be sandwiched between.

Was it true you turned down the headlining spot at Glastonbury?

I don't know what people think about us for doing that. I hope they don't think we're cocky. We just felt like since we only had one album that maybe someone else should do it because they're going to play a little longer and have more material. We just thought, "second to last is still good so let's do that." It wasn't a big deal to us, really.

Did your popularity start in the UK first?

Absolutely. We were sort of popular first, but then we got this record deal with this small British label called Lizard King. Things worked out for some shows in September of 2003. We went back in November and December and did a thorough touring of England for the winter. We played all over England after we hadn't played more than three towns in America .

Why did the band take off over there first?

I don't know what it is. They really look for new music. They seek out new bands, maybe because they're in magazines. We were a lot more visible over there and they latched on and all the shows were sold out. It went well. Kings of Leon are way bigger over there than here, too.

How do you manage to stay sane despite all the hype?

Who said I'm sane? I don't know. Sometimes, I just like to go in my bunk and shut the curtain and watch movies and get away from everything.

You formed the band in Las Vegas . Was there a good rock scene there?

It was mostly a punk and rap-aggro metal scene. We weren't very into that and stuck out like a sore thumb, which I think turned out to be a good thing. The people who did like us became loyal followers because there wasn't anyone else who sounded like us. We had a small following who continued to come. It built up that way.

Is it true you met [singer] Brandon Flowers through an ad you placed in the paper looking for someone who also liked Oasis to join your band?

Yeah. I had tried for a year and a half to put out ads and see who would call. Sometimes a month would go by and no one would call. I'd change the wording or something about the ad every time. I remember thinking I just loved this song by Oasis at the time. I put a couple of other bands in there like the Verve. He had just been to an Oasis show the night before, and they made a believer out of him. He had mostly been in keyboard bands before that and after that he decided to look for a guitar player. It's sad that there aren't that many Oasis fans in the town. It's good we found each other.

You were working at Banana Republic at the time. Did you get a mad discount and use it to full effect?

Oh yeah. That's why I was working there (laughs). It turned out to be a good job for me at the time, not because of the pay but because they were really flexible for scheduling. I could take off for shows and go out of town. That's why I held on to that job for like two years.

Is that where you got your fashion sense?

No! There's a few things I would wear maybe just in the house. It's not for me. I just needed a job.

Are you all big fans of New Wave and post-punk rock from the mid-’80s and early ’90s? What are the differences in your tastes in music?

Yeah, there's little differences. We're all very crazy about a lot of songs that were popular in the ’80s. Brandon might be a little more into the Smiths than the rest of us, and I might be a little more into the Smashing Pumpkins. But we all love the Cure. [Bassist] Mark [Stoermer] loves Pearl Jam and [drummer] Ronnie [Vannucci] loves Depeche Mode. He also loves Tom Waits and mentions him in every interview.

Did you grow up with that music?

We're all from 23 to 29 years old. When I was a junior or senior in high school, I really got into [U2's] Achtung Baby. Later, I went back and got Unforgettable Fire. Achtung Baby is still my favorite.

You toured early on with British Sea Power. What was that like?

I think they of all the new bands, they have more of an original sound. It's really their own flavor. Every night I liked them more and more. I had only heard their album a couple of times before we went on tour with them. By the end of the tour, I just loved it. They're nice guys. We're hoping to bring them out here to tour with us. I don't think they're as popular as they should be.

Do you miss playing the small dive bars on the indie rock circuit?

Sometimes. I really like all the sizes. People always ask if I like the big or small venues. But I like them all for different reasons. The dive bars are fun because you're up close and sometimes it's good to be closer to everyone in the band when you're on a small stage. But it's also fun to walk out in front of 50,000 people at Glastonbury , too. That's a rush.

Did it really take only two weeks to write "Mr. Brightside"?

Two weeks? I don't know anything about two weeks. It was the first song we wrote. I had half of it written on guitar, and I gave [ Brandon ] that with the verse. He came back with these vocals. I didn't have the vocal melody. I don't know if you can put a time on it. But it came together quickly.

How do your personalities fit together?

We're all different, but we're like brothers now. That's the best way to put it. We can get in fights and be fine ten minutes later. That kind of thing. I know them well to know they're opinionated about some things and we won't see eye to eye. But most of the time I get along with them.

Is "Somebody Told Me" based on a true story?

I don't believe so.

How sick are you of all this nonsense with the Bravery?

Very.

Was it fun at first?

No. There were already articles in magazines before I had heard their album or even met them. I was like, "What rivalry? What are you talking about? Maybe I'll like it. I don't know yet." I got stick of it right away. I think [reporters] are desperate for a story. I don't like it but I try to put myself in their shoes. If nothing's happening, they'll look for something to write about.

When you called your album Hot Fuss did you have any idea it would become such a hot fuss?

Of course.