Brandon Flowers

When The Killers decided to take a hiatus after six years of non-stop touring and worldwide success, front man Brandon Flowers took the chance to launch a solo project full of the ambition, showmanship and huge extravagance that you'd expect from the Las Vegas native. Driven to continue writing by the death of his mother in 2010, Flowers found himself free to explore influences ranging from 1980s synth pop stars Pet Shop Boys to old time gospel and the open road, stadium-rocking bombast of Bruce Springsteen. With the help of big name producers Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, Neil Young), Stuart Price (Kylie Minogue, New Order) and Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Rage Against The Machine), debut album Flamingo (2010) shot straight to the top of the UK album charts while reaching Number 8 in the US. Though reviews were mixed, the single Crossfire made the UK Top 10 and Flowers went on a sell-out tour of Europe and the US featuring guest appearances from Fran Healy and Andy Summers; with the gigs being named as one of the "Best 15 Summer Shows" by Spin Magazine.