The Killers Talk New Album 'Battle Born,' Mitt Romney, Mormonism & More
Sep 15, 2012 10:09 AM EDT
by Marlow Stern

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/15/the-killers-talk-new-album-battle-born-mitt-romney-mormonism-more.html

The Vegas rockers have performed for President Obama, gotten a shout-out from Mitt Romney, and racked up Grammy Awards. Frontman Brandon Flowers and bassist Mark Stroemer talk to Marlow Stern about Mormonism, their new album, and those early days performing at ->-bleeped-<- bars.

Like Romney (and Reid), the front man of The Killers, Brandon Flowers, is a Mormon, and Romney personally requested a one-on-one lunch meeting with him last year. Of his political allegiances, however, Flowers remains torn.

"It's really back-and-forth," he says, followed by a long pause. "We all have different opinions in the band."

In the early days, the band would practice in Vannucci's garage or sneak into the band room of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where Vannucci was studying, to jam. They cut their teeth playing in "strip mall bars, cafes, little dives for as few as five people sometimes," according to Stoermer, and witnessed some bizarre things in the Nevada desert.

"Probably the weirdest thing that we experienced from those early days was playing in a ->-bleeped-<- bar," says Flowers. "You'd have your parents, cousins, and fans, and then the odd ->-bleeped-<- walking around."

Flowers, who is still a practicing Mormon, struggled in the early days to reconcile his dual roles as a Mormon and a rock god.