The Killers’ most recent album, 2017’s Wonderful Wonderful, came out five years after their previous effort, 2012’s Battle Born. The gap between albums won’t be quite as long this time around: The band has revealed that their sixth album, Imploding The Mirage, will be out May 29. Now, they’ve shared the album’s first single, “Caution,” a lively and urgent rocker that features guitar from Lindsey Buckingham.
The band’s Brandon Flowers and Ronnie Vannucci spoke with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe about the song and their upcoming album. Flowers said a lot of “Caution” comes from him moving from Las Vegas:
“It’s sort of about having the wherewithal to listen to that angel on your shoulder, even if they’re telling you something that you don’t want to hear. And I think for me with this song was a lot about leaving Las Vegas. I was having this sort of hunch or impression that that was something that I was supposed to do for my family. And it was hard for me because I’m an ambassador for [the city], and so it was tough for me to leave. I thought I was able to harness that energy and there was a sort of a relief when it happened, and you kind of feel that the spirit in ‘Caution,’ I feel like.”
Flowers also compared “Caution” favorably to “The Man,” the lead single from Wonderful Wonderful, saying, “We experimented a little bit on the last album. We’re proud of ‘The Man’ and all that it did, but the heart wasn’t quite there. I was being a little ironic with ‘The Man’ and I think we’re at our best when we’re bearing our hearts, and we’re kind of doing that on ‘Caution.'”
Meanwhile, Vannucci spoke about what it was like to work on the song with Lindsey Buckingham, saying, “He did all the sort of famed tricks where we were recording to tape, so we slowed the tape at half speed or quarter speed, and then he did guitar playing. And so that’s how you get those sort of crystal-ly high tinkle sounds. And then he just slayed a solo at the very end of it. And at that time, the song, we didn’t really have an ending for it, so it just kind of went on. But his solo was just too good. So we just made the ending as long as his solo. So that’s why it’s so long.”
Listen to “Caution” above, and below, find the Imploding The Mirage cover art and The Killers’ upcoming tour dates.
05/26 — Doncaster, UK @ Keepmoat Stadium *
05/28 — Falkirk, Scotland, UK @ The Falkirk Stadium *
05/30 — Manchester, UK @ Emirates Old Trafford, UK *
06/01 — Norwich, UK @ Carrow Road Stadium, UK *
06/03 — Southampton, UK @ St Mary’s Stadium, UK *
06/05 — London, UK @ Emirates Stadium, UK ^
06/06 — London, UK @ Emirates Stadium, UK ^
06/09 — Bristol, UK @ Ashton Gate Stadium #
06/11 — Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium #
06/13 — Middlesbrough, UK @ Riverside Stadium #
06/16 — Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle ^
06/17 — Dublin, Ireland @ Malahide Castle ^
06/19 — Scheessel, Germany @ Hurricane Festival
06/20 — Neuhausen, Germany @ Southside Festival
06/21 — Werchter, Belgium @ Tw Classic
06/23 — Zagreb, Croatia @ Inmusic Festival
06/27 — Stockholm, Sweden @ Lollapalooza (Stockholm)
07/06 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome &
07/07 — Boulogne-Billancourt, France @ La Seine Musicale &
07/09 — Madrid, Spain @ Mad Cool Festival
07/10 — Bilbao, Spain @ Bilbao Bbk Live Festival
07/12 — Milan, Italy @ Milano Summer Festival
07/14 — Vienna, Austria @ Stadthalle
07/16 — Ostrava, Czech Republic @ Colours Of Ostrava Festival
07/18 — Moscow, Russia @ Park Live Festival
08/18 — Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center +
08/19 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Smart Home Arena +
08/21 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena +
08/22 — George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre +
08/23 — Portland, OR @ Moda Center +
08/25 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center +
08/26 — San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena +
08/28 — Las Vegas, NV @ Mgm Grand Garden Arena +
08/29 — Los Angeles, CC @ Banc Of California Stadium +
08/30 — Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena +
09/10 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center +
09/11 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena +
09/12 — Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center +
09/15 — Miami, FL @ Americanairlines Arena +
09/16 — Orlando, FL @ Amway Center +
09/18 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena +
09/19 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena +
09/20 — St. Louis, MO @ Chaifetz Arena +
09/22 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center +
09/23 — Chicago, IL @ United Center +
09/25 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena +
09/26 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre +
09/27 — Verona, NY @ Turning Stone Event Center +
09/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center +
10/01 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/02 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden +
10/03 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena +
10/05 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden +
10/06 — University Park, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center +
10/08 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center +
10/09 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse +
10/10 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena +
11/11 — Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
11/14 — Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena
11/18 — Perth, Australia @ Rac Arena
11/21 — Melbourne, Australia @ Aami Park
11/29 — Mexico City, Mexico @ Foro Sol
12/01 — Monterrey, Mexico @ Arena Monterrey
12/02 — Monterrey, Mexico @ Arena Monterrey
12/04 — Zapopan, Mexico @ Estadio 3 De Marzo
* with Blossoms
^ with Sam Fender
# with Manic Street Preachers
+ with Johnny Marr
& with Orville Peck
Imploding The Mirage is out 05/29 via Island. Pre-order it here.
