The Killers join forces with Bruce Springsteen on 'Dustland'

The Killers and Bruce Springsteen have teamed up on a new single 'Dustland' – a reimagined duet version of the band's track 'A Dustland Fairytale' from their 2008 album, Day & Age.

In a statement shared on social media, The Killers' Brandon Flowers revealed that he was in JFK Airport in New York, preparing to board a flight to Salt Lake City, when Springsteen texted him:

"I start getting some texts from a number I don't have marked in my phone. 'Watching Glastonbury. You guys have become one hellacious live band my brother! Love the gold suit! We gotta do Dustland one day.' Signed off with: 'Bruce.'"

Unconvinced it was really Springsteen, Flowers reached out to Evan James Springsteen, to "get verification that the number really is coming from his old man."

"And then, Covid Happened," Flowers' statement continues. "We were sorry that we didn't get to tour it, but genuinely happy that we were able to release Imploding the Mirage as some sort of consolation. This is what we do, and this is what we have to offer. A joyful record about unity and perseverance. Our interpretation of that promised light that lives just beyond the boundary of sorrow.

"I have always sought to find and reflect that elusive light in my songs. It's a trait I inherited from my mother Jean. She died from a brain tumor back in 2010 at the age of 64... Sixty Four! I'm turning 40 next week and I'm starting to realize just how young that is. Too young. She was married to my father Terry for 44 of those years. Dustland was written in the middle of her battle with cancer. It was an attempt to better understand my dad, who is sometimes a mystery to me. To grieve for my mother. To acknowledge their sacrifices and maybe even catch a glimpse of just how strong love needs to be to make it in this world. It was my therapy. It was cathartic.

"That's where Bruce comes in. Before I really became a fan of his, I was in the business of stadium-size everything. Larger than life EVERYTHING. Certainly larger than the lives of Jeannie and Terry Flowers. But Bruce has written a lot about people like my parents and found a whole lot of beauty in otherwise invisible people's hopes and dreams. Their struggles, and their losses.

"I'm grateful to him for opening this door for me. I'm grateful to my parents for their example to me. Now go find something new out about your dad, give your mom a big hug, and for god's sake listen to Bruce Springsteen."

Listen to 'Dustland' below:

Revisit our 2020 interview with The Killers' Brandon Flowers here.