#7: He doesn't look a thing like Jesus...
But Brandon Flowers is more LDS than anyone you've ever known.
Whatever experience with Latter-day Saints has brought you here, it’s a decent bet that Brandon Flowers can relate. In fact, I know of no other person who simultaneously encompasses so many facets of what it means to be Mormon as The Killers’ frontman.
He’s seen the lives of loved ones changed by gospel teachings…
And taken his own path anyway…
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Technically speaking, this is Brandon’s story. But maybe part of it is yours too.
Still Mr. Brightside? (2003-2005)
In a glowing review of “Imploding the Mirage”, Alfred Soto describes Brandon as an “immaculately coiffed, straight, Las Vegas Mormon striving to live down every one of those adjectives.” Yet it’s clear that the mental image he’s working from is at best a decade out of date.
The version of BF that most resembles this perception is front and center in one of the biggest songs of the 21st century. Despite releasing nearly twenty years ago, it’s STILL a hit on the UK singles chart.
In case you’re forgetting, the song is set against a glamorous backdrop of nightclub androgyny, as Brandon belts out an anthem of sexual jealousy caked in eyeliner.
The whole production is far removed from anything you’d find in Sunday School, and given its durable cultural presence it’s likely that this is what Soto had in mind. Judging by outward appearances, Mr. Brightside hardly looks like a religious man.
But beneath the surface, destiny was calling him.
Return to Activity (2005-2012)
I’m not going to give him too much credit. Brandon, when we met, was 20 and I was 20. He wasn’t church-going. It’s really weird to talk about how I found the church, because it’s almost like it found me in a way… We were still dating when I had this moment when I was driving and I just heard a voice say, “Read the Book of Mormon.” Which was a weird thing, because I wasn’t even thinking about that. But I felt a rush, like this was a good idea. — Tana Flowers
I can’t trace the exact timing of things, but Brandon’s marriage to Tana seems to mark a significant milestone in his journey back to the faith of his youth.
Her conversion took place largely in secret while The Killers were on tour.
In the years that followed, Brandon would increasingly embrace the at times hard to reconcile responsibilities to “be in a band and not get kicked out of my church”.
He quit drinking around 2007 and began incorporating more overtly religious language into his songs. In 2011, Brandon recorded a video testimony as part of the “I’m a Mormon” campaign.
The Story Continues (2012-Present)
In recent years, I’ve enjoyed watching Brandon Flowers leverage the “Mormon Springboard” effect to produce some of his best work.
I hope he continues to pack his songs with nods to LDS theology and culture.
But whether he’s singing about boyfriends that look like girlfriends or the “Come Follow Me” curriculum, I know I’ll be listening.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out my other writing in the Infovores Newsletter.
My interview with Katherine, rant about Utah journalism, and off-beat retelling of Jacob 5 may be of particular interest. You can also follow @ageofinfovores to keep up with me.
Check out “Imploding the Mirage” and “Pressure Machine.”
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