How do you feel the fashion aspect of it affects people’s perception of the band?
I wish the media wasn’t involved sometimes, because they take something that just seems so innocent and so simple and blow it up like, ‘Oh my god!! Holy shit, somebody’s wearing a suit jacket!’ They just make it into a much bigger deal than it needs to be. Obviously it would be a little difficult to go up and sing ‘Mr. Brightside’ or ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ with jeans and a T- shirt. (laughs) It just wouldn’t really come across.
The music’s theatrical, I think, and if we were up there in everyday clothes, it wouldn’t make a connection. I don’t know, I think fashion’s played up a little bit too much. I think it’s important.
We’re obviously on stage to deliver a show, and I wouldn’t call it costumes, but we’re a fucking rock band. The people who have tried to ignore or discount fashion in rock have kind of gone out to lunch. The dudes in Grandaddy wear trucker caps and fucking beards, and I love that, but it’s still a look. You can call that fashion, can’t you? It wouldn’t work any other way with them, so that’s what they do, and that’s what we do.
The touring cycle’s almost over, right?
Yeah, thank god. (laughs)
It’s been a long one.
Yeah, it really has. It’s been two years nonstop, basically. People say 18 months or 19 months, but we were touring before we had a record out, making $20-$30 a show. (laughs) It’s time to get in and make a new record, if not for everybody else on the planet who likes The Killers, then for us.
Do you have anything planned out yet?
We’ve got tons of songs. Brandon’s got songs, we’ve all got little songs we’re working on and getting to, we’re just actually trying to find a place to rehearse. We did rehearse at my house, but now it’s like a meet and greet everyday at my door (laughs) so we can’t practice here anymore. I have too much shit out in my garage anyway. So we’re trying to find a rehearsal space at the moment so we can get in there.
We’re just getting ready for these shows and enjoying the break. We’ve only been home for 11 days. I guess it’s probably, for the sake of the tour and everything, best not to wind down completely, but just to get a breather.
I think we all want to work up some new songs and maybe some old ones for these shows. We weren’t really expecting to play these big shows like this. We’re a little scared.
It’s weird because you don’t want to do the Third Eye Blind thing and fuckin’ play stadiums one day and then go away. Yeah great, you make some loot, but the money’s way down the line, we just want to be a band able to sustain ourselves for a long time, be an important band.
I know it goes through all our minds that maybe we shouldn’t make ourselves so available. We talk to other people about that and we’re like, ‘Man, what do you think? Should we turn off the gas?’ And you really get mixed reviews. People are like, ‘Tons of people have your album, but nobody’s seen you yet.’ You kind of second guess that, because how do you know when it’s just a blur for the last two years.
You think you’ve played everywhere, but have you? Yeah, you played L.A. several times, but the venue’s only been 3,000 people, 4,000 people. Is it time? Can you do a 10,000 seater? Can you do a 15,000 seater? We go back and forth. Are we ready to? Should we? We’re gonna try and do it as best we can. I feel a little strange about it, but I think we can do it. We all believe in what we’re doing, but it just feels kind of strange. Are we giving it up too early, or are we just gonna start from here and go up?
I’d like to think we could just start from here and go up, and as long as the show doesn’t suffer and everybody’s having a good time, we’re cool. But it’s weird because three years ago, we were playing the transvestite clubs, and now we’re doing these big gigs out in New York.
It’s a young band too.
Yeah, we’ve only been around for three and a half years.
Having things come together like that is uncommon to say the least.
Yeah, it really is. We’re happy. It’s kind of taken us by surprise. We’re trying to deal with it and keep grounded as much as possible. We don’t want to get out of line. Nobody’s developing any type of weird habits yet. We’ll see. (laughs)
The Killers will be appearing live at the Across The Narrows Festival on Oct. 1 at Richmond County Bank Ballpark on Staten Island. For more info on the band, check out www.thekillers.co.uk
