Growing up in the early 2000s, I remember riding in the car with my mom — before owning an aux cord — and constantly fiddling with the radio. While popular artists in 2006, like Britney Spears and Eminem, were respectable with prominent music careers, they just didn’t appeal to my 12 year-old ears.
But whenever I turned the knob when I heard the beginning chords of “Somebody Told Me” by The Killers. I kept singing “It’s not confidential, I’ve got potential,” long after the song ended. It was just angsty enough to appease my pre-teen self, and I was smart enough to know that this sounded like a band that would eventually have an illustrious existence.
Almost 7 years have passed, and I pride myself in saying those predictions were more than accurate. The band — hailing from the inside of a small Las Vegas coffee shop — recently celebrated their 10th anniversary of second studio album, Sam’s Town — named after a casino in their hometown.
The huge hurrah over a sophomore piece doesn’t initially seem to add up, but when you factor in the album produced their 4th most-streamed song on Spotify, “When You Were Young,” the celebration of it all seems to make more sense. Thriving in the music industry for at least a decade is a feat within itself, and not a petty achievement we can overlooked.
From releasing three more albums in a six-year period to opening up their own music studio, Battle Born Studios, to releasing a new holiday-themed single each year since 2006 for charity Product Red, The Killers are pros at staying busy. The Nevada natives have also been nominated for seven Grammys. From the looks of any outsider’s point of view, it seemed like this band would revel in their success for decades to come, and never even chance slowing it down.
In more recent years though, the group has taken an unexpected quieter turn. After the release of their greatest hits compilation album, Direct Hits (2013), the members began to disperse and focus on independent projects. Frontman Brandon Flowers released his own solo record, The Desired Effect, (2015), while drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. worked on his side project, Big Talk, along with bassist Mark Stoermer pumping out his own record, Dark Arts (2016).
Essentially, the future seemed fogged for the indie-rocker/post-punk revivalists, and any fan’s way to make wicked guitar solos sound dreamy would’ve been worried. Just when all hope seemed to be lost, the band collectively made an announcement in late 2015 that they’ve begun working on their 5th studio album with the help of renowned producers, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Flood, and Alan Moulder.
Along with the long-awaited announcement, the rockers released an unplayed single, “Peace of Mind,” that was initially supposed to appear on Sam’s Town to commemorate the 10-year reign of it. Like any devotee to the group would’ve hoped, it features elements of their typical sound, with lyrics that expose the need to neglect reality in the hopes of reaching paradise, an accompaniment of echoing vocal chants, and their statement electric guitar. In other words, while some singles that are produced to lead a band into a new era can leave a stale taste in the mouth, this one does just the opposite — leaving a sweet flavor long after the last note is played.
The band celebrating a decade of their sophomore album’s success, along with having a new record in the works, proves that these rockers aren’t quite done just yet. Looking back to sun-soaked car rides when I was 12, with the sound of Brandon Flowers’ voice filling up every crevice of the car, I never would’ve imagined that at almost 19, this band would still have my heart — along with the nights that I’d spend in my room jumping around furiously to “Mr. Brightside.”
Staying eager for a future filled with new tunes for my brooding night drives, I know that any new album released by The Killers will be more than just a shot at the night.
My Favorite Tracks
Miss Atomic Bomb
The Way It Was
Under The Gun
Shot At The Night
