So I don’t know Brandon and have zero expectation that he’ll read this but it is on my heart so here goes:
Dear Brandon, hope it’s cool I address you so informally.
So it hurts my heart to hear you have scrapped the new album. "boy" and "Your Side of Town" are the start of a fun record but I get not feeling it. As one of your fans who despised Pressure Machine, it really hurts my heart you want to do more music like that. See it was done well but you did it at the height of lockdown and well it is depressing as fuck. I can almost love some of the tracks from the abridged version. "Runaway Horses" live just spoke to me in a way that it didn’t just listening to it on the album but actually that isn’t the point of this letter.
To the point: sir, you mention not wanting to be the “Somebody Told Me” guy. I totally get that. The song hit 20 years ago. You aren’t that guy anymore but see here is the thing, we aren’t the same kids who fell in love with that song as it hit either. Believe it or not, we have grown and aged with you. We are in our 40s too! We are parents. We are married. We have lived through some shit same as you.
You are smart. This is something you already know so back to finding the point here. We have matured and we understand you and your music has to too. While I am probably never going to listen to all of Pressure Machine again, I understand where it came from. But you aren’t just the Hot Fuss guy. The Killers are more than a few hits, for your fans The Killers are old memories and new memories.
Sometimes I do escape into Hot Fuss. I remember listening to it when it first hit and then everything since. To this day, Sam’s Town is my go to for study time because it was all I listened to as I worked on my Masters of Ed. My doctorate application is Battle Born. I still remember having a complete crying fit in the local coffeeshop listening to "Runaways." My actual studies are your solo album, Flamingo. I will never be able to think of the 2020 election week without hearing "Imploding the Mirage" in my mind. Every time the news mentioned the implosion of the red wave, I could hear your voice holding Mirage. Your voice has colored my life for the last 20 years.
So what is my ask? Release new songs that show us you as the man you are today. Even if that place is dark and uncomfortable because at times we are dark and uncomfortable too. Show us how to survive the rough parts of our marriages. Talk to us about raising boys. Sing to us about your crumbling illusions of life and the joys of creating yourself into something new.
Why? Because we are living those phases too. Way back on Battle Born, you had a song “The Way it Was” and you talk about wanting to go back. The new life you have isn’t what you wanted and you want to go back to the way it was. I have always had a love/hate relationship with that song. Yes, the beginning of a romance is beautiful but so is the middle and growing with someone. That is what you are asking from us, to let go of the way it was and meet you here and now. So let us meet you here and now.
Please tour smaller venues where we can see the whites of your eyes. Play in places where Ronny’s sweat will get all over us. Be close to us and see that yes, we have all changed and honestly it is for the better.
Brandon, darling, you are in middle life. It’s cool. I am having hot flashes as I write. We have both aged. Now is the time to work on ourselves, to work at being parents and good life partners. Now is the time to leave the literal arena for the metaphorical arena of middle age. Listen to Brene Brown. She has some fabulous thoughts on middle age. Please don’t kill The Killers. Let The Killers evolve and age. Your true victims will be there to listen.
Signed a middle age fan girl from Texas
