Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Killers frontman discusses politics… reluctantly

The British music tabloid NME recently cornered The Killers lead singer Brandon Flowers, and pressed him for his views on the presidential candidates. Here's an excerpt from the interview with the Henderson-born singer; more in the full post at the Towleroad blog.

NME: Can I ask you some personal questions?

BRANDON FLOWERS: (Pause) OK...

NME: It's an election year in the U.S., so it seems appropriate to ask you about the time you said you were "sympathetic to George Bush."

BF: Yeah. I said that, but I don't think that now. I'm in the middle with my beliefs, like everyone else.

NME: I think it's quite rare to meet someone in a rock 'n' roll band who says their politics are "in the middle."

BF: Well, I acknowledge that I'm different to people in most bands. In what way? I don't want to talk about it. I think that's enough of a statement in itself.

NME: I leave that alone then...

BF: (Brandon is oblivious to NME's statement) I think a lot of people in bands do it because they're artists and they're supposed to be on the left.

NME: I think the argument is that rock 'n' roll is supposed to be counter-culture and so it's rare for people within it to have conservative views.

BF: Yeah, I understand it all, but I am who I am and I've spent a lot of time trying to work out who I am and I always come back to the middle. I know as a singer in a band I should veer towards the left, but I don't.

NME: So which way will you vote in the election?

BF: I don't know. It could go both ways.

NME: Really?

BF: Yes.

NME: How do you feel about Obama?

BF: (Pause) I don't think people want to hear The Killers talk about this stuff...

NME: I do. In an election year and with you being American, I think this stuff is unavoidable.

BF: I'm excited about him...I don't know. I think too many people jump on the train and I don't want to be one of those people. I like his ideas. I like the idea of what he represents. In a lot of ways.

NME: How do you feel about McCain?

BF: (Long pause) Everyone has good and bad points about them.

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