The thoughtful big-voiced frontman for the rock band The Killers, Brandon Flowers is compelling in lyric and performance. The handsome and quintessential band leader has wowed fans with songs like “Mr. Brightside” and albums like Pressure Machine.
Videos by American Songwriter
The seven-time Grammy-nominated group has now been making music since the dawn of the new century. But with all this power, passion, and success, some may wonder what the 42-year-old Nevada-born Flowers has to say about life, his craft, and the world at large. These are the best 20 Brandon Flowers quotes.
[RELATED: 5 Underrated Jenny Lewis Collaborations Worth Hearing]
1. “You can’t save the world with music. But I can try. I have the same job as Bruce Springsteen. I have to go as far as I can with it.”
2. “I think of talent as being God-given. I know that contradicts what a lot of people believe, but that’s how I see it. I think the Beatles were meant to be, you know? So when I listen to Paul McCartney, I think, ‘Here’s the person that God gave the gift of allowing him to write ‘Let It Be.'”
3. “In 50 years, I don’t think you’re gonna look back at 2006 and say, ‘The good old days.'”
4. “‘Hot Fuss’ was all based on fantasy. The English influences, the makeup – they were what I imagined rock was. I’m a dreamer, you know? So I dug into that dream and made ‘Hot Fuss.’ But hearing people call us ‘the best British band from America’ made me wonder about my family and who I was.”
5. “I live a normal life. But I’m always thinking about what I’m going to do next, musically. ‘Do I need a fresh producer? What was Peter Gabriel doing when he was 32?'”
6. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve wanted to represent Las Vegas more. Represent the Southwest. It’s a magical place. The desert. I do understand people’s criticisms, but it’s a magical place and a beautiful city, even though there are a lot of things that are wrong with it.”
7. “I went to high school with girls that would daydream about what strip club they wanted to work at. That’s one of the sad things about Vegas.”
8. “I’ve definitely got a lot more cautious about my lyrics—I feel I want to be a positive force in the world, and I want to uplift people. That’s something that comes with age.”
9. “‘Human’ was controversial within The Killers way before it was controversial to the rest of the world! It caused some problems within the band. Not to throw anybody under the bus, but it was pretty much me and Dave against Mark and Ronnie for a little while. We were standing up for the song.”
10. “Bands that say they don’t care about how their records sell are liars.”
11. “My dad was a produce man. He worked in grocery stores for 35 years. My mom just babysat kids and raised us. I have four sisters and one brother. I’m the baby.”
12. “My dad is a big dreamer, so I got that from him. Golf was my main thing when I was a teenager, and that’s what I wanted to do.”
13. “I romanticize. I live with the ghosts of Elvis and Frank Sinatra. It seems so glamorous. They were American men who don’t exist anymore. But there are ugly things about them, too.”
14. “I was so young when the Killers started. I was 21. I’m proud of those songs, but there’s no way I would write ‘Somebody Told Me,’ as I get older. Especially after having kids.”
15. “I believe in God. It’s a big part of my life. You can bring it up and talk about it without being ‘Christian Rocker.'”
16. “When I was younger, I was chubby. It gave me a terrible sense of self-image, and I guess I carry that around with me still.”
17. “Something happened in the nineties. There was a shift. I don’t want to blame it on grunge or the rise of indie—but that was basically it. It was seen as dirty and kind of ignorant to have these ambitions, to want to be a big band.
18. “I have the same thing every day. I find it comforting. I have a banana, but I can never eat the whole banana. And I’ll drink a couple of Actimels. And some kind of cereal with almond milk. And then after that, I have a Coke.”
19. “At home, I’m not a rock star. I wear dad-appropriate attire. I drive a truck. And we go out to the mountains to light fires and have barbecues. Even then, The Killers are usually in the back of my mind.”
20. “I’ve struggled with an identity sometimes; I don’t know what exactly I am. I love so many types of music, and I don’t want to commit to going down one road.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for ABA
