Why Brandon Flowers trusts his own judgment over critics

Brandon Flowers is best known as the frontman of The Killers. All seven of their albums have gone top 10 in the U.S. and to number one in the U.K. Flowers has also had a successful solo career and he’s back with his third solo album THRASHER, out August 21. 00:00 Cold Open 00:26 Welcome to Alchemy 01:05 Recording THRASHER Live in Nashville 02:38 Returning to His Nephi, Utah Roots 05:18 From Golf Course to First Songs 07:12 The Mentor Who Opened Up Music 08:48 Answering Dave Keuning's Ad and Becoming a Singer 12:36 Discovering His Frontman Persona 14:18 Family, Golf, and Finding His Own Lane 18:13 The Real People Behind THRASHER's Characters 22:06 Ambiguity and His Encounter with Elvis 26:46 Sponsor Break / The FLAG Art Foundation 29:01 Balancing Stage Persona and Family Life 30:15 22 Years Since Hot Fuss: Writing "Mr. Brightside" and "Human" 35:42 How Fan-Favorite Deep Cuts Emerge 38:06 Songwriting as a Daily Discipline 40:02 Two New Albums and Where The Killers Stand Now 42:38 Trusting His Own Judgment Over Critics 44:10 Vampire Weekend and Creative Competition 48:12 Closing Thanks New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and ⁠YouTube⁠ so you never miss one. ⁠Sign up here⁠ to get Alchemy in your inbox⁠. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠, ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ & ⁠Facebook⁠. For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show About our Founding Sponsor, ⁠⁠The FLAG Art Foundation⁠⁠: The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠. About Anthony Mason: Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.