The Killers enlisted director Spike Lee to visualize the band’s latest song, “Land of the Free,” in which the Las Vegas-based rock outfit gets topical, addressing issues surrounding immigration, mass incarceration, racial tensions and gun violence.

Lee incorporates footage of migrants clashing with U.S. border patrol agents in the emotionally charged film accompanying the song.

“Down at the border they’re gonna put up a wall / With concrete and rebar steel beams/ High enough to keep all those filthy hands off of our hopes and our dreams / People who just want the same thing we do / In the land of the free,” lead singer Brandon Flowers sings in the final verse.

The song’s chorus features vocal assistance from a gospel choir. Lee was given full rein in creating the short film, according to a statement from the band issued Monday. It was shot toward the end of the year, and Lee took his crew to the U.S.-Mexico border to get some of the footage.


The track is described as a free-standing release, not a prelude to a forthcoming album. The band’s latest album, “Wonderful Wonderful,” was released in 2017 and became the group’s first to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 Albums chart.

randy.lewis@latimes.com

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