The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci recording solo album

The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci is recording his first solo album.

The Las Vegas sticksman has flown to London to work on the record while his band are on hiatus. Details are scant, but he has spoken about why he chose to record in the UK.

"The people I trust the most with music, some of those people are here," he told BBC 6music. "From the very first moment we [The Killers] were here it solidified a bond that's undeniable. It's familiar now, it's comforting."

He added: "I felt a connection here personally and I feel most at home [here]."

Vannucci said he didn't know when his album would come out, but did speak about getting back together with his band for a few shows this year.

The Killers are already confirmed to play the new Lollapalooza festival in Chile in April, with the drummer saying there were more "one-off shows" on the cards. He said that new band material was "a way off", though.

Vannucci presented Muse with the Best British Band award at the Shockwaves NME Awards last Wednesday (February 23).

The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci names solo album

The Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci has named his first solo album 'Big Talk'.

The sticksman recorded the album, which was mixed by Alan Moulder, in London. It doesn't have a release date yet, but Vannucci has told NME he's started to think about playing songs from it live already.

"I'm not ready to be getting my hair curled and hitting the big stage," he admitted. "From a practical point of view it makes sense to try it out guerrilla style until we get our shit together."

Vannucci enlisted his friend Tyler Milne and former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp to play on the album.

He sings and plays guitar on the record, but admitted that "I can't shred yet. I'm gonna have to work on that."

The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci to release solo album in July



The Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci is set to release his debut solo album 'Big Talk' on July 11.

The record was recorded in London and mixed by Alan Moulder. 'Getaways' will be the first single from the album, and will come out on May 10.

"I needed to do this, it's such a departure from what I'm used to, but now, having done it, it feels like the right thing to do," the sticksman said of recording under his own name. "It all feels very natural. I can't sit on a couch very long!"

Vannucci teamed up with his friend Tayler Milne and former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp to make the record.

The Killers are due to headline this year's Hard Rock Calling Festival at Hyde Park in London on June 24. For more information see http://www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

Hear The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci's first solo single - audio

The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vanucci has released his first single 'Getaways', which you can hear by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking.

The track is the first to be taken from his forthcoming debut solo album 'Big Talk', which is released on July 18.

The drummer's debut LP was recorded in Las Vegas with The Strokes producer Joe Chicarelli and has been mixed by U2 and Glasvegas knob twiddler Alan Moulder.

Vannucci made 'Big Talk' in collaboration with his friend Tayler Milne and former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp. He is set to tour the album later in the summer.

The drummer will reunite with The Killers to headline this year's Hard Rock Calling Festival at Hyde Park in London on June 24. For more information see http://www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

The Killers' Ronnie Vannucci gets tips off his bandmates for his 'Big Talk' project - video

The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci has told NME the rest of the band gave him some handy advice during recording sessions for his solo project Big Talk and the debut album of the same name.

The sticksman said he would often consult his bandmates for tips in a video you can watch below.

"We share a studio so we'd see each other or I'd send them demos and I'm like 'What do you think? I'm at a crossroads, What do you think of this b-section'," he said. "So yeah we showed each other stuff."

Vannucci also revealed that singer Brandon Flowers offered him some tips on touring.

"Brandon said I should go and play some coffee houses or unannounced gigs and I haven't done that yet but I'm going to," he added.

Vannucci teamed up with his friend Taylor Milne and former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp to make the record, which is due out on July 11.

Video: Ronnie Vannucci Jr. At Hard Rock Calling 2011 - Interview

Ronnie Vannucci: 'I'm called 'Big Talk' to avoid competition with Brandon Flowers'

The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci has said that he decided to record his solo album under the name Big Talk to avoid competition with his bandmate Brandon Flowers.

Speaking to The Sun, Vannucci also said he started Big Talk as something to do "just for fun" as his main outfit had become "such a big deal."

Asked why he didn't release it under his own name, Vannucci replied:


The drummer also said that he'd started the project in order to have fun, because working in The Killers is such a huge effort.

He said: "I wanted this thing to be fun because so much of my life is consumed by The Killers. I have fun doing that, but it's such a big deal now."

The Killers recently headlined London festival Hard Rock Calling and Flowers has also said that the band are well into the process of writing their fourth studio album, with four or five songs already written.

The Killers: 'The next album is going to have more guitars'

The Killers' next album will have a more guitar-heavy sound, according to drummer Ronnie Vannucci.

Speaking to NME, Vannucci – who makes music as Big Talk – hinted that The Killers' new sound would differ from 2008's Stuart Price-helmed 'Day & Age' album.

He said: "The next album is going to have more guitars. It’s about fucking time!"

Vannucci also confirmed that the band were set to hit the studio. "In October we’re going to start recording in Nashville," he said. "It’s up in the air who's going to produce it, I can’t officially say." He continued:


Vannucci, who is set to play some UK solo shows later this month as Big Talk, said that he was nervous about hitting the stage without his bandmates.

"I always get nerves, no matter what instruments I play, but it's necessary, it's vital," he said. "It makes your voice go high, it's nice."

He promised the shows would be value for money. "We're going have a good fucking time, it's going to be a ball." Vannucci added: "We're going to have lots of fun - we're going to a whisky distillery for a day!"

Asked about the success of Big Talk, Vannucci said: "Maybe [it's successful] because it's rock'n'roll. When you hear records by some of these guys it seems like they are more worried about their hair than the tunes and having a good time. It’s an honest record, it’s pure. It feels like I’m not trying to say anything big and it's the right time for a record like that. "

Big Talk play:

Glasgow The Arches (September 24)
Manchester Academy 3 (26)
London Scala (28)