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It's not every day that we music journos find ourselves interviewing a member of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet at 3am.

But Dave Keuning of The Killers is a self-confessed night owl and is usually wide awake in America at such an ungodly hour.

As there’s an eight hours time difference between Ireland and the West Coast, Dave graciously offered to make life easier for The Beat by scheduling our transatlantic call for the Witching hour.

And no, his nocturnal lifestyle is nothing to do with any sex, drugs and rock‘n’roll silly antics either. But rather the case that Dave finds his creative juices flow best when burning the midnight oil.

It’s a modus operandi that has clearly paid off in spades – with his debut solo album, Prismism receiving very positive reviews since its release in January.

He told The Beat: “I’ve been wanting to get this out for a while. I feel really happy with it. I think I would’ve been okay with any response. I just felt really good about it.”

He has ever right to be proud of it too. But just don’t ask him to spill the beans about the album’s themes and lyrics.

“I think there’s several themes. I don’t want to go to into that. I guess there’s a lot going in my life and the words just came spilling out of me,” he proffered.

“So, people can analysis what they want from it. (There’s been) a lot of drama in my personal life that I don’t ever talk about.

"And a lot of people try to figure out lyrics and some people are missing the mark. But I’m not going to spell it out for people. It’s been a dramatic 14 years.”

It’s obviously been a long and winding road. It’s hard to believe it’s actually 16 years since Mr. Brightside first hit the airwaves.

Dave is on now hiatus from The Killers to focus on his solo career.

But it seems an unusual move considering the band is touring this year. What was their reaction when he broke the bombshell news?

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask them. I don’t think they care as long as they get to tour and keep making music. I really don’t want to speak for them though, so you would have to ask them,” he said coyly.

But Dave does admit that he would’ve preferred if his new solo material had been recorded by The Killers instead.

“I’d rather have Brandon (Flowers) sing on my stuff – but a lot of the stuff on my album maybe wouldn’t sit on a Killers record, or maybe just didn’t make the final cut of The Killers record,” he told us.

“I have too much music to make that I can’t sit still at home and just hope that it gets used for The Killers.

"If it’s not going to get used for The Killers then I’m going to use it.

“And I would like that they do use my ideas because it would be heard by a lot more people. And I’d love to work with the band on any of my ideas.

“But even if they do use some of my ideas, I’m going to have leftover ideas that I will always want to finish. Either way I’m going to have lots of stuff.”

Dave clearly sounds frustrated that he couldn’t get The Killers to record his solo efforts.

But don’t get him wrong, he is also clearly excited about this new chapter too.

“I needed to make these songs. I had way too many songs just piling up.

"I mean, hundreds. It was the right time in my life to do it. I wished I’d done it quite a while ago. I’m not getting any younger,” he explained.

“I had a few ideas that I wanted to see come to life. I wanted to experiment with (these songs) and see what I could do with them on my own.

“And as soon I started working on one or two songs, it just felt fun to make music this way that I just kept doing songs for the record.”

Is the plan to focus now on producing a few more solo albums or will he return to the fold with The Killers in the near future?

“Well, in a perfect world it would be both.

"I would go back to The Killers and make music (with them) and then still put out solo records.

"I am going to do solos records always from now on. I waited so long to do the first one… ”

(Image: PA)

One reason Dave waited until now to put out solo material was because he needed to become comfortable with the idea of being the centre of attention on stage.

“It (singing) wasn’t something necessarily I always wanted. It was a very hard decision to take a break from touring or whatever we’re calling this.

"But I would’ve put out solo material a lot sooner had I made this decision to sing, I think,” he explained.

“It just feels different mostly because I sing and, like you said, being the frontman that’s a little added concentration. And everyone’s looking at me.

“It’s not something I really asked for, but it’s necessary because these are my songs and my lyrics – and the only way these songs were ever going to get finished is if I sang on them and put them out.”

But he’s taking to it like a duck to water.

“Adjusting to being the singer, it’s growing on me. I was perfectly fine being a guitar player, but I accept that it was necessary for me to be the singer with my own project,” he said.

Is there a temptation to throw in the odd hit single from The Killers into his own show?

“I’m not crossing it off the list. But I’m a little thorn – I was hoping to just play my own stuff at first but the temptation is there for me. I’m sure it’s there for the audience,” he admitted.

“I’m not ruling it out. I guess anything is possible, but people should mostly expect to hear my own stuff.

"I’ll play most of my solo album and a few covers. I probably won’t play any Killers songs.”

Dave has a real gra for Ireland, which harks back to his teenage years when he was in awe of The Edge’s guitar chops.

“I got into U2 right around the Achtung Baby time. I was in High School. And that’s a great album front to back,” he recalled.

“I was into a lot of other stuff at the time. I was very into Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, but that album (Achtung Baby) I was also into –and found an appreciation for U2.

“And then I went backwards and got into The Joshua Tree. And then soon after Zoopropa and Pop and so forth.

"Nineties U2 was a very big influence on me.”

The Killers actually covered Ultraviolet (Light My Way) as part of an Achtung Baby covers album called Ǎhk-to͝ong Bāy-Bi for the charity Concern Worldwide.

Dave purposely picked Belfast and Dublin as his first shows on his upcoming European tour.

“They’re also the first dates after the album has been released. So I’ve been anxious to come back over and play to people who know their music,” he said.

“I’ve been there many times. I have explored Ireland in the past and it’s seriously one my favourite places. It’s very beautiful and very unique nature, for lack of a better word.

“And I’ve always loved the people. I’ve always loved the crowds. And I think that’s probably why I wanted to, for sure, hit Ireland (first).

"I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how they react.

“I remember the first Killers concert we played in Ireland, it felt like an enormous amount of people and they were singing back every note. They knew every word.

“It just seems like they celebrate concerts a little more than some places. I’m really optimistic just for whoever comes, we’ll have a good time.”

Dave Keuning plays The Limelight 2 at The Academy Green Room, Dublin on March 25.