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The Killers is a rock quartet founded in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by two musicians: Dave Keuning and Brandon Flowers. Brandon, the band's future lead singer, found an ad in the newspaper as a young guitarist who had arrived in Las Vegas a year earlier.
It is also worth noting that Brandon was a member of another musical project before deciding to create his own rock band. He performed in a local synth-wave band, but after one of the rock concerts, he suddenly realized that he was more attracted to rock. The musicians immediately started recording their first test songs at home in 2001. The musicians took the name for their band from one of the clips of the New Order band, where the fictional band performed under this name. At this time, the guys played mainly in small venues: bars and parties, sometimes resorting to the help of an additional bass player. During this time, several songs were written, which the group performs at concerts to this day. Over the next year and a half, the group changed several temporary members until the group was finally formed in 2002 when two more musicians joined the band: Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr.
In fact, the backbone of the group formed at that time and has remained almost unchanged for almost 20 years. During this time, only the musicians who accompanied the group on some of its tours changed. So, the basis of the group consists of four musicians:
Brandon Flowers - lead vocalist, bass guitarist, and keyboardist;
Dave Keuning - lead and rhythm guitarist, occasional back-vocal;
Ronnie Vannucci Jr. - drums and percussion, backing vocal;
Mark Stoermer - bass and rhythm guitarist, occasional backing vocalist.
Also, the list of touring musicians of the group includes seven extra members: Ted Sablay, Jack Blanton, Taylor Milne, Robbie Connolly, Amanda Brown, Erica Canales, and Danielle Withers.
The group finished work on their first studio album at the end of 2003, de-facto, although the album itself was released only in 2004. The guys were releasing only individual singles at that moment. Also, in the spring of the same year, The Killers released their first music video for the song "Somebody Told Me". Immediately after that, the band went on tour, playing sets that received mostly positive reviews. The release of the first album and high concert activity allowed the group to find its auditory, primarily in Europe. The group changed several labels during its existence, but their chief partner remains the London label The Island.
The band's first album, "Hot Fuss", reached the top of the UK charts in early 2005. The group was recognized as a World Best Selling New Group by World Music Awards in 2005.
The band began work on their anticipated second album immediately following the end of the Hot Fuss Tour. In other matters, right after the release of the album, the group received controversial marks. Some critics assessed the album quite warmly, and some, in turn, very mediocre. For example, the authoritative magazine The Rolling Stones gave a rating of 40 out of 100, calling the album "a big disappointment". Despite the album's controversy, it peaked at number one in the UK charts, and second in the USA. The album was rated multiple times platinum in many countries, in the same way as the previous one. The group continues to perform in all parts of the world, and in 2007 released the compilation album Sawdust.
Shortly thereafter, the band released their third studio album, Day & Age, which became the band's most unusual album. The Killers used a whole additional orchestra to record it. The main emphasis was on the abundant presence of such untypical rock-group musical instruments as the saxophone, harpsichord, and iron drums. The album was rated moderately in general, but rather positively than negatively. Following the release of the album, the band announced a short hiatus that lasted until 2011. It was interrupted by a headlining performance at Lollapalooza. The band members began to combine performance as part of The Killers and solo projects, which each of the participants acquired after 2011.
Over the past decade, the group has released three albums, each of which has been received warmly by critics. The group cooperated with the world's music giants performing at the world's largest venues. The release of the last album, which was marked for the spring of 2020, had to be postponed until the end of summer due to well-known events. The group is not going to stop its activities after the end of the lockdown and has already managed to announce a new world tour, starting in May 2021.
Over the past decade, the group has released three albums, each of which has been received warmly by critics. The group cooperated with the world's music giants performing at the world's largest venues. The release of the last album, which was marked for the spring of 2020, had to be postponed until the end of summer due to well-known events. The group is not going to stop its activities after the end of the lockdown and has already managed to announce a new world tour, starting in May 2021. The group managed to go through a kind of becoming mature in their music. Starting with the first albums that were pure rock and roll, going towards the more and more experimental and meditative vibes over time. Closer to 2020, the group feels much more restrained than at the beginning of their career. The musicians themselves began to resemble preachers rather than rock musicians. The group has always been famous for its love of neat and beautiful looks. Despite approaching their second anniversary on stage, the group looks and sounds much fresher than many young bands that just appeared on the scene.