Hitmakers: The songwriting secrets of The Killers' Mr Brightside

James Hanley

I wrote Mr Brightside in my closet. I had my amp set up in there – it was fairly soundproofed with all my clothes – and I had my Big Muff guitar pedal on.

I was exploring different chord voicings and shapes and was playing this one voicing over and over again. I decided to change the bass note and move it around in different directions – up, down, sideways, diagonal – and then into the pre-chorus.

I remember playing ...

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