The Killers’ upcoming album Imploding The Mirage was originally slated for a release this spring but has since been put on hold during the pandemic. Even still, the group continues to share previews of the record, the latest being the driving single “My Own Soul’s Warning.” On Wednesday, The Killers joined iHeartRadio for a livestream fundraiser where they pulled from their upcoming release as well as their back catalog. The band also paid homage to Jimmy Buffett with a meaningful cover of his song “A Pirate Looks At 40.”
The Killers’ iHeartRadio livestream raised funds for NAACP and marked the first time since the pandemic that the group has joined together in full to perform music. During the set, the band played their poignant track “Land Of The Free,” with added lyrics dedicated to George Floyd as well as their breezy Imploding The Mirage single “Caution.” Halfway through their performance, The Killers pivoted away from their own music and instead elected to highlight Buffett’s 1975 track.
Introducing the cover, The Killers’ vocalist Brandon Flowers commended Buffett for his songwriting expertise: “I grew up, I think like a lot of people, knowing about ‘Margaritaville’ and maybe ‘Cheeseburger In Paradise’ and both, actually, fantastically written songs. But when you really go a little deeper into the catalog, there is a whole treasure trove by Jimmy Buffett. He’s a master class songwriter, actually, and I’m learning from him.”
Watch The Killers cover “A Pirate Looks At 40” above, at around the 9-minute mark.