Brandon Flowers tells us about making his most personal album yet: “I’m finally ready to do this”

Brandon Flowers has spoken to NME about revisiting his formative years to give more of himself away than ever before on new solo album ‘Thrasher’ , as well as tackling the “loneliness epidemic” for an incoming “sister record” and what’s next for The Killers .

The frontman of the Las Vegas band will release his third solo album this Friday (August 21), drawing from his early childhood years and country music like Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings that his father would play to him while driving around rural Utah.

It carries the Americana thread launched by The Killers’ classic 2006 album ‘Sam’s Town’ and picks up where their last record, ‘Pressure Machine’ , left off with its “South Western” leanings.

“I enjoyed making ‘Pressure Machine’ so much that I didn’t want to leave,” Flowers told NME as we met in his record label offices in London.

“I didn’t think that this should be a Killers record, so I zeroed in even more.

Where ‘Pressure Machine’ was centred around Nephi, Utah, and all those stories were taking place within the town , this one is even more personal.

I’m zeroing in on my inner circle.

That’s how I see it.” And why now, at the age of 45 and with such a vivid songbook already under his belt, is Flowers getting so personal? “I think I’m capable of it now,” he replied.

“I don’t think I was capable as a songwriter in the early days.

I’ve always wanted to and told stories, but I wasn’t good at it.

I think this is just an evolution of my craft, and I think I’m finally ready to do this.” Recorded in country music’s spiritual home of Nashville, ‘Thrasher’ sees Flowers reunite with longtime producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, as well as team up with guitarist David Rawlings, pedal steel player Bruce Bouton, and 85-year-old Charlie McCoy (the harmonica player who featured on all four of Bob Dylan ’s Nashville records).

As Flowers revealed to NME last year , ‘Thrasher’ is the first of two new solo albums – with this one more narrative ahead of a more “romantic” follow-up.

“It’s the same band,” he shared of the other album on the way.

“It’s maybe not as country but maybe country-leaning; in the same way that Tom Petty is country adjacent, or The Travelling Wilburys.” Flowers added: “I see it as an answer to the loneliness epidemic.