The Killers spent a week "eyeballing each other" at the start of recording Battle Born.

The "Mr Brightside" band were on hiatus until October 2011 when they started sessions for their new album, and admit it took a little time for them to settle in to working together again. Singer Brandon Flowers said they had "spent about a week eyeballing each other in a room," before coming up with new single, "Runaways," which gave them confidence.

"That and 'Miss Atomic Bomb' were the backbone of this record. They made me feel like I was on the right track," Brandon added.

Brandon and drummer Ronnie Vannucci both released solo albums after the band went on hiatus in 2010, but respected the fact the other members, guitarist Dave Keuning and bassist Mark Stoermer, needed some time off. "We are a machine of four parts, and when some of those parts wear out, you need to give it time. We all have different temperaments for how much you can manage. You need respect. Otherwise you're a band for maybe three years and then explode," Ronnie added.

Dave said he used the time off to be a father, and concentrate on his life outside of music. "Oh yeah, everyone's proud of being a Killer 24 hours a day. Well, some of us aren't built like that. I've got a kid so, mystery solved," he told NME.