After more than a decade away from solo releases, Brandon Flowers has announced his long-awaited return with THRASHER, his third solo album and first since 2015’s The Desired Effect. The record arrives on 21 August 2026 via Island Records, with its lead single, Plans, available now.
Brandon Flowers
Alongside the album announcement, the The Killers frontman has also revealed an extensive headline tour across North America, the UK and Ireland this autumn, including a prestigious performance at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall.
Recorded in Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, THRASHER finds Flowers embracing the storytelling traditions of Americana and country music while retaining the melodic sensibilities that have defined his career. Working once again with acclaimed producers Shawn Everett and Jonathan Rado, the album features an impressive cast of Nashville musicians, including guitarist David Rawlings, celebrated pedal steel player Bruce Bouton, and legendary harmonica virtuoso Charlie McCoy, whose unmistakable playing helped shape Bob Dylan’s landmark Nashville recordings.
While Flowers has often woven Americana influences into The Killers’ catalogue—from Sam’s Town through to Pressure Machine—THRASHER represents his deepest exploration of those roots to date. Inspired by memories of his upbringing in the small Utah town of Nephi, the album reflects on family, identity, loss and the landscapes that shaped him long before international stardom arrived.
Speaking about the direction of the album, Flowers explains that revisiting the country and western music his father loved helped unlock a new chapter in his songwriting: “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found my way back to my father’s music – ‘Country-Western’ (as he called it) – and discovered that the stories I carry really feel most at home in the skin of this beautiful American tradition.”
That perspective runs throughout THRASHER, an album populated by richly drawn characters inspired by friends and family, alongside reflections on life’s triumphs and tragedies. Rather than chasing arena-sized anthems, Flowers leans into intimate storytelling, creating songs that feel cinematic, deeply personal and unmistakably American.
Brandon Flowers with Elton John @ Glastonbury Festival 2023
Lead single Plans offers the first glimpse into this new sonic landscape. Built around understated instrumentation and evocative lyricism, the track explores ambition, missed opportunities and the quiet resilience found in ordinary lives. It marks a noticeable departure from the stadium-ready sound synonymous with The Killers while showcasing Flowers’ ever-present gift for melody.
Elsewhere, THRASHER journeys through honky-tonk rockers, heartfelt ballads and expansive Americana, balancing moments of humour with profound emotional weight. Songs touch on family history, grief, nostalgia and faith, culminating in the ambitious closing track, An American Dream, a sweeping meditation on memory, mortality and the pursuit of meaning.
The announcement is accompanied by news of a major headline tour across the UK and Ireland this October. Fans will have the opportunity to experience Flowers’ new material live in intimate theatre settings before he heads across Europe and North America.
Tickets for the UK and Ireland dates go on general sale at 10am BST on Friday 3 July, with pre-sale access available from Wednesday 1 July for fans who pre-order THRASHER.
UK & Ireland Tour Dates:
OCTOBER
14th – O2 Academy, Bournemouth
15th – Royal Albert Hall, London
17th – Beacon, Bristol
18th – Rock City, Nottingham
20th – O2 Apollo, Manchester
21st – Barbican, York
23rd – O2 Academy, Glasgow
24th – O2 Academy, Birmingham
27th – Olympia, Dublin
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