The Killers have described the attitude to music in America as ‘retarded’ as they gear up for the release of their greatest hits collection ‘Direct Hits‘.
Looking back on their almost immediate fame in the UK, when the early singles ‘Somebody Told Me‘ and ‘Mr. Brightside‘ heralded their debut album ‘Hot Fuss‘ number one success in Britain, drummer Ronnie Vannucci told The Sun:
“Breaking in the UK first was great because America is retarded musically. It’s upside down. There’s so much great music that doesn’t get the attention. There’s a lot of bullshit on US radio.”
“I start to wonder, what do adults listen to? Do they listen to what’s being played on the radio,” Brandon Flowers added. “You should listen to something that’s for you – not about giving your virginity to your boyfriend on Saturday night. It is retarded.”
“Every song is that song. And if 40-year-olds are listening to that rubbish, they’re going to raise kids on it. It’s not even music.”
Later, on their future plans, Flowers again stated his desire to release a second solo album, but insisted that doesn’t mean the end for The Killers is nigh. “We’ll have a little break then I’ll make another solo album, but it’s not the end for us,” he concluded.