Brandon Flowers Still Fueled By Competition With Ezra Koenig
It turns out that even if you make a song as big as "Mr. Brightside," you still succumb to feelings of competition with your peers. Brandon Flowers is not shy about this; in 2020, he told NME that he was grateful for Ezra Koenig because Vampire Weekend's Father Of The Bride "helped to propel us into the right direction and realize that we couldn't just phone in the Killers' record." In a new…
Brandon Flowers has openly admitted to feeling competitive with his peers, even after achieving massive success with songs like "Mr. Brightside." In a recent interview, the singer-songwriter revealed that he is grateful for the influence of Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, as their album "Father of the Bride" helped propel the Killers' career forward.
He recalled the initial negative impact of the Strokes' debut album, which seemed to raise the bar for the Killers. Flowers believes that a little competition can be beneficial, comparing the relationship between the Strokes and the Killers to that of the Beatles and the Beach Boys. In the past, the Killers discarded all their early songs except "Mr.
Brightside" after hearing "Is This It" by the Strokes, which raised the bar for their music. Flowers is always aware when Vampire Weekend releases new music and even shared a friendly rapport with Koenig, including playing tennis together in Australia. The two bands, despite their different sounds, share a producer, Ariel Rechtshaid, who has worked on the last three Vampire Weekend albums and will also work on the Killers' upcoming project.
While it may not be accurate to label their relationship as a rivalry, Flowers has expressed his admiration for Koenig, even appearing in a video message at a Vampire Weekend concert to request a cover of "Mr. Brightside."
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