After being a member of The Killers for the past 17 years, founding guitarist and songwriter Dave Keuning is ready to step into the spotlight as frontman for his solo debut, Prismism — a 14-track LP that also has him taking the reins on a tour this fall, capturing the very best of the Iowa native’s unique, musical aptitudes.
Indulging his longtime fascination with electronic sounds, keyboards, guitars and drum machines, Keuning tells PopCulture.com that his debut record, set to release this winter, was a long time coming.
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“I have all these song ideas that just don’t get used or are just kind of sitting around and some of them were ideas not used with The Killers,” Keuning said, adding how some tracks also just didn’t fit with the direction of their music at the time. “[But] I have a lot of material, a lot of voice memos and wanted to see them come to life.”
While his former bandmates Brandon Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and Mark Stoermer have all had the chance to venture outside of The Killers since the band’s inception in 2001, Keuning said he just never made time over the years for his own solo record.
“[It was] fun to be able to do whatever you want and see a song through until it’s done without any other voices or compromises made with anyone else, so that was a really fun process — it was actually the most fun I had making music in a long time,” he said.
Adding to that excitement is Keuning’s tour ahead of the record’s release that the 41-year-old said has been “a lot of fun,” though he is admittedly a shy person.
“I was pretty nervous the first show,” he said of the debut set, which kicked off in San Diego, California, on Nov. 6. “I didn’t know what to expect… did a lot of practices, but like I said, I’m a little shy so it wasn’t easy, [but] after the first song, I started to feel a lot better.”
With Keuning getting used to the experience of flying solo and learning various techniques to ensure the best experience for fans and music lovers, he is most excited about his Nashville, Tennessee, show on Nov. 14 at The High Watt in historic Cannery Row.
“I put a lot of energy into it,” Keuning enthused. “It’ll be a lot of fun and hopefully people will just give me a chance [because] I won’t disappoint.”
Along with revealing how Nashville was a special addition to his tour due in part to the city embracing music and varied styles, he shares with PopCulture.com that he is bringing a special guest to the show on Wednesday.
“I am adding Trevor Sensor to the bill last minute,” Keuning said of the alternative/indie rocker. “He’s going to be opening [and] help me on some acoustics — he’s really good. He’s out there on iTunes, too. We’re going to make it as good as we can.”
Though Keuning’s tour is short this time around, he promises fans and music lovers “there’ll be a lot more shows next year” after the release of Prismism, which he is “excited to get out” this winter.
“There’s going to be a lot more fun when the album’s out for me,” Keuning said. “That’s really where it all starts, when people know the songs, they know the lyrics, and it starts to circulate a little bit and grow into something. That for me will be when the fun starts, so I’ll definitely be touring more next year!”
You can check out Keuning on tour now, hitting up Nashville this Wednesday and a short stint in the U.K. this December.
Tour dates:
- Nov. 14 – High Watt – Nashville, Tennessee
- Dec. 9 – Night and Day – Manchester, U.K.
- Dec. 10 – Dingwalls – London, U.K.
Dave Keuning’s debut album, Prismism, releases Jan. 25, 2019. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for more on his upcoming album and music! For more information on Keuning, check out his website for updates.
