10 Surprising Details You Didn't Know About The Killers
1. Co-Writing 'Wonderful Wonderful' With His Wife Helped Flowers Understand Mental Illness
At the end of the day music, like any other artistic medium, exists to make you feel something. This behind-the-scenes fact about their most recent album is going to make you feel a lot. Get the tissues ready.
Flowers wife, Tana, was diagnosed with complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder resulting from an abusive family upbringing and toxic home environment. Flowers called off the last six shows of his U.S. tour for his solo album 'The Desired Effect' when his wife's mental health hit a critical peak. Understandably, raising three children and helping his wife through such a serious time put him in musical stasis.
After some inspiration from U2's Bono, Flowers began working on new music for The Killers that would later become 'Wonderful Wonderful'. Part of the process was sitting down with Tana and co-writing songs with her. Through this, he came to understand his wife more and fully appreciate the severity of mental illness. Flowers describes working with her as a bonding experience that brought them closer together. Tracks such as 'Some Kind of Love', 'Rut', and the title song 'Wonderful Wonderful' were influenced by Tana and their working together.
'Wonderful Wonderful' feels almost like a departure from their previous work in terms of sound and lyrics. But, knowing why this is makes it a departure much welcomed. At its core, it's an album about love and determination as told by two people in love and determined to be together.
Pass those tissues when you're done with them please.