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.

By Brandon Voss

From The Advocate December 2, 2008

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

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Name: L.Valle
Date posted: 2009-04-23 5:40 PM
Hometown: New York, NY

Comment:

"Do you think you alienated any gay fans with Sam’s Town, your 2006 follow-up to Hot Fuss?" What kind of idiotic, stereotypical and homophobic question is that? Why would gay fans be alienated because they did a harder rock album? Why does the mainstream gay media portray all gays in one broad brushstroke as mincing, screaming twinks that love Britney? There are a huge number of gay people who enjoy rock, country, folk or other types of music. I understand that these folks are not the target demographic that your advertisers covet, because their minds are not as easily influenced, but if you are going to pretend to be a magazine that fights for equality in the gay community; then do not reinforce the negative stereotypes that have held us back for so long.

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