The Killers have spoken out about what to expect from their new album, revealing that ‘moments feel heavier than anything they’ve ever done’.

The band started recording their long-awaited fifth album back in September, and have been working in Las Vegas, San Diego, LA and Joshua Tree with U2 producer Jacknife Lee. Now in a new interview with Q, frontman Brandon Flowers has discussed the sound and progress of the record.

“There are moments that feel heavier than anything we’ve ever done, not that we’re the heaviest band in the world, but they have a finesse because of our experience,” said Flowers. “There’s also really beautiful things. Lyrically, it’s really close to home.”


Speaking of new songs and titles, Flowers said: “There’s one called ‘Rut’ and we were all kind of excited about what was happening with that. Another is called ‘Run For Cover’ and that comes from ‘Day & Age’. so it’s eight-years-old. It started with Stuart Price and it still sort of has his stamp on it – but we’re funnelling it back through the band eight years later with a different producer.

“I never got the lyrics right and I think I’m gonna get it right this time. ‘Run For Cover’ looks like it’s got a good shot [of being on the album].”

He continued: “There’s one called ‘Tyson Vs Douglas’ [named after the 1990 Mike Tyson vs Buster Douglas boxing match]. I don’t know why but I think about it all the time and i finally tried to tackle it in a song, what it meant to have this hero of mine get torn down, and then everything that happened after that.”

Last year also saw The Killers celebrate the 10th anniversary of their seminal second album ‘Sam’s Town’. When asked about the impact that revisiting the record had on writing new material, Flowers replied: “I think in that aspect it was integral. It made me remember how cohesive everything was, there’s something really together about it. we put out ‘Direct Hits’ after ‘Battle Born’ and I feel like that was the end of something, so now it’s about re-imagining The Killers as men now. People with life experiences and blood on their hands, seeing what we look like with callouses and lines around our eyes.”

Dean Chalkley/NME

Meanwhile, The Killers are set to tour this summer – having been announced to play Denmark’s Tinderbox Festival with Kings Of Leon – the same weekend as Glastonbury 2017.