With “Thrasher,” Brandon Flowers revisits Nephi, Las Vegas and his path to rock stardom

From Las Vegas to Nephi

Flowers was eight when his family moved from Las Vegas to Nephi, a small Utah town south of Salt Lake. He recalled feeling that Las Vegas remained part of his identity, even as his family became his close-knit world.

The town’s golf course was a gathering place for residents, Flowers said. He described it as where he first encountered cigarettes, chewing tobacco and alcohol.

A return to Las Vegas

Flowers returned to Las Vegas for his senior year of high school. The Killers later established themselves there and became a major band. In 2002, the group was playing in Henderson, Nevada, before its rise to international fame. “Mr. Brightside,” inspired by Flowers’ experience of being cheated on, became an anthem for a generation.

Memories and faith in music

Flowers’ solo project “Thrasher” tells stories from his childhood. He recalled his father trying to teach him to fight, and said he now teaches his three sons not to fight.

A practicing Mormon as well as a rock star, Flowers has looked to Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash as examples of religious musicians who struggled with that balance. He said he has learned from their choices, including what to avoid.