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Big Gay Following: Brandon Flowers

Killers front man Brandon Flowers thinks gay fans will connect with his album, but not even Elton John can get him to shave that beard.


Smile like you mean it, because the Killers are on the attack with their third proper album, Day & Age, which drops November 25. Singer Brandon Flowers has been a gay fan favorite since the 2004 release of his Las Vegas–based band’s Grammy-nominated debut, Hot Fuss. Four years later, the 27-year-old is back in bloom with a fresher face and fiercer fashions. We picked the dad’s brain about his queer heroes, beard clippings, and an odd trip to The O.C.

Not to sound like an obscene phone call, but where are you, and what are you wearing?
I’m driving through Las Vegas on my way to a rehearsal. My daily garments are kind of boring, but Polo makes these custom-fit shirts that I’m a fan of. My dream would be to dress like a Polo ad every day -- they have great ads -- but the clothes don’t really fit like that when you buy them.

Fashionably speaking, are you returning to your glam roots for the new album?
Yeah, a little bit. It’s a little wilder. There’s a woman who goes by Mrs. Jones -- she does stuff for Kylie Minogue and Scissor Sisters -- and we reached out to her to make some stuff for us. She’s made me two jackets with fur sleeves.

Which track on Day & Age do you think will resonate most with gay fans?
Well, we marry disco and rock in a perfect way on “Joy Ride.” I think I may need to work on my dance moves.

Do you think you alienated any gay fans with Sam’s Town, your 2006 follow-up to Hot Fuss?
I hope not. It did go a little more in a rock direction, but it was still us. I feel like we make music for everybody.

What about the facial hair you rocked for that record?
I thought you guys liked that stuff! Although we do go have dinner with Elton [John] whenever he’s in town, and every time I walked in the door he would say, “You haven’t shaved that off yet?” I felt more comfortable with facial hair; it’s almost like a mask. Whenever I shave, I save the hair. I’ve got it in a bag, and I’m planning to send it with the new album to [Pet Shop Boys singer] Neil Tennant.

Who’s the most influential gay person in your life?
Whether I knew it or not, or found out later, a lot of the music that I grew up on tended to be made by gay men. A lot of my heroes were and are gay men.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Nigel
    Date posted: 3/26/2009 8:41:00 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    omg . . the killers are my favorite band . . i love brandon. it's really nice to see guys that are secure with themselves like brandon. he's a great role model!

  • Name: Mick
    Date posted: 3/23/2009 10:22:00 AM
    Hometown: SD, KL

    Comment:

    gays like the killers? that's a first. they like brandon flowers, period. Just like David Archuleta, he could record his pee streams and gays will like it. as a gay man who likes his music loud and feel more at home with lesbian bands than the gay shite, please do not confuse your musical preference. When you find brandon flowers attractive, please don't declare yourself a Killers fan.

  • Name: Brent
    Date posted: 2/8/2009 5:11:00 PM
    Hometown: franklin ohio

    Comment:

    I have read many interveiws of him talking about his gay fans and guy idols. Apprently some of their first shows were in drag clubs. He's an arragant asshole sometimes but he is very brave to do these kind of interveiws. As for the stache/beard I miss it. He totally rocked it. The fluffy jacket however, blah lets hope he dont start wareing boas and giant sunglasses.

  • Name: William GA Pease
    Date posted: 2/1/2009 4:55:00 PM
    Hometown: Calistoga

    Comment:

    I can't believe they didn't ask him if he supports gay marriage and is anti-Prop 8; I had to search on the internet to find this article saying Brandon Flowers is opposed to gay marriage: Go to the website insider and find the article 'The Killers' New - Day & Age - Don't Buy It Way to go, Advocate; in this case, 'way to go' means 'you suck.' I don't stand up enough for gay rights at the Korean high school where I work, and I suck for that, too.

  • Name: alyssa
    Date posted: 11/30/2008 6:49:00 PM
    Hometown: richmond

    Comment:

    they were the ones pressing him about gay things... leave brandon alone!!! obviously he supports gay people if he put up w/ this interview (btw, rufus and elton r gay...)

  • Name: Fred
    Date posted: 11/30/2008 2:27:00 PM
    Hometown: London

    Comment:

    How can The Advocate interview a Mormon and not ask about Prop 8....... Gees it's almost like some fluff from Teen Beat...

  • Name: Renald
    Date posted: 11/13/2008 5:44:00 PM
    Hometown: UK

    Comment:

    "Typical Advocate -- he asserts that many of his musical heroes were gay, yet he does not NAME even one of them. Typical "Ohhh I just LOVE my gay friends!" show-biz b.s." His all-time favourite band, and one of his biggest influences, are The Pet Shop Boys, and he's good friends and a big fan of Elton John. If that helps you.

  • Name: Feathers not fur...
    Date posted: 11/8/2008 2:57:00 PM
    Hometown: Dakota

    Comment:

    "It's made by a woman named Fee Doran. She goes by Mrs. Jones. She's an English woman, and she's a very kind of eccentric woman," Flowers said. "She's done clothes for everyone from Kylie Minogue to the Scissor Sisters and this one too. There's no fur in it. I don't think anything was butchered for my jacket."

  • Name: "feathers not fur"
    Date posted: 11/8/2008 9:48:00 AM
    Hometown: Dakota

    Comment:

    Brandon: "It's made by a woman named Fee Doran. She goes by Mrs. Jones. She's an English woman, and she's a very kind of eccentric woman," Flowers said. "She's done clothes for everyone from Kylie Minogue to the Scissor Sisters and this one too. There's no fur in it. I don't think anything was butchered for my jacket."

  • Name: Marty
    Date posted: 11/7/2008 5:10:00 AM
    Hometown: Ann Arbor

    Comment:

    Typical Advocate -- he asserts that many of his musical heroes were gay, yet he does not NAME even one of them. Typical "Ohhh I just LOVE my gay friends!" show-biz b.s.



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