Brandon Flowers is bringing his twang to Boston. The Killers frontman, now working as a solo artist, plays Roadrunner at 89 Guest St. on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m., as he tours behind his third solo record, THRASHER — an album that trades his band's arena-sized synth-rock for pedal steel, harmonica, and the sound of his father's old country records.
A Decade-Later Return to Solo Work
THRASHER marks Flowers's first solo album in more than a decade, following 2015's The Desired Effect, according to kxt.org. The album arrived Aug. 21 via Island Records, as reported by v13.net. Flowers's first solo outing, Flamingo, came out in 2010, and it was Flowers's third solo album overall, following The Desired Effect, per the Boston Globe's own report on his tour.
The record draws heavily on Flowers's small-town roots, weaving personal stories through a country-western sound, according to The Boston Globe. It was recorded at Nashville's Historic RCA Studio A with longtime producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, the same v13.net report notes, and features session players including guitarist David Rawlings, pedal steel player Bruce Bouton, and harmonica player Charlie McCoy.
Cutting 23 Songs Live in the Room
Flowers recorded 23 tracks in three weeks at RCA Studio A, with roughly half making the final cut for THRASHER, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He sang every song live in the same room as the musicians rather than tracking vocals separately, kxt.org reports. That approach, Flowers said, sharpened his performance: “It made me sing better ... so I think it forced me to be at my best,” he told the outlet.
The Review-Journal's account traces Flowers's country influences — Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard — back to music he first heard through his father. He put it more directly to another outlet: “I've found my way back to my father's music,” he told whynow.co.uk. Flowers, who is 45 and was born just outside Las Vegas, according to The Guardian, has said the record contains some of his most autobiographical material yet, per the Review-Journal.
A Tribute Woven Into the Tracklist
One song on the album, “One Of Us,” pays tribute to Flowers's late brother-in-law, the v13.net report notes, and addresses gratitude in grief following his death, according to the Globe's account. The new record explores themes of identity, origins, family, and community.
THRASHER isn't Flowers's first pass at this territory. He has said the album continues an exploration of his rural Utah upbringing that began with The Killers' 2021 record, Pressure Machine, telling kxt.org, “this is just a continuation of that.” Pressure Machine was itself inspired by John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven and Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio, according to the Globe. The Guardian has called THRASHER a stylistic follow-up to that 2021 record, and rated it a stronger, more enjoyable listen than The Desired Effect.
Mixed Reviews, Bigger Plans
Not every critic has embraced the turn. Rolling Stone gave THRASHER 2½ out of 5 stars, according to a separate Saving Country Music review. Flowers appears undeterred: he has discussed plans for two future solo albums.
He's also carrying lessons from the sessions back to his main band. Flowers has said he wants to keep recording future Killers material with musicians playing together live in the room, telling kxt.org, “that's one thing for sure that I want to continue onto the next Killers thing.” Even so, he's told the Review-Journal he wants the next Killers album to be a true collaboration, keeping much of his country and Americana writing separate from the band's sound. The Killers' eighth studio album has been confirmed for 2027, according to both WMMR and whynow.co.uk.
Festival Stops Before Boston
Before landing at Roadrunner, Flowers played the Newport Folk Festival in July. He was also scheduled for the first weekend of the 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Zilker Park on Oct. 2, after the Sept. 23 Boston concert, per kxt.org. He's also spoken about his family and his faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, telling the Globe that they help keep him grounded.
