Dave Keuning

David Brent Keuning (born March 28, 1976) is an American guitarist and songwriter, best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the rock band The Killers, which he founded alongside Brandon Flowers in 2001 and with whom he has recorded five studio albums. Keuning played every show with The Killers since its inception up until the show at Chicago's Lollapalooza on August 4, 2017. He is currently on a hiatus from The Killers. Keuning has since released a solo album titled Prismism under his surname Keuning in 2019.[1]

Dave Keuning
Portrait of Dave Keuning by photographer Dana Trippe
Background information
Birth nameDavid Brent Keuning
Born (1976-03-28) March 28, 1976
OriginPella, Iowa, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • singer
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • Vocals
  • Bass
  • Keyboards
  • Cello
Years active2001–present
Associated actsThe Killers
Websitekeuningmusic.com

Personal life

David Brent Keuning was born and brought up in Pella, Iowa by parents Charles and Sandra. He has one older brother, Kevin Keuning. He started to play guitar just before entering Pella Community High School where he played in the jazz band. In his senior year the group won state champions class 3A. In 2000 Keuning moved to Las Vegas, Nevada.[2][3] He found work at the Banana Republic store in The Venetian Hotel and Casino on The Strip.

Keuning now lives in San Diego, California with his wife, Emilie Keuning. He has a son, Kyler, from a previous relationship.

Career

Keuning placed an ad in the local Las Vegas Weekly looking to form a band, mentioning Oasis as one of his influences.[4] Brandon Flowers, who shared Keuning's love of groups such as New Order and the Cure, answered it, only to have Keuning promptly hand him a TASCAM-recorded four-track demo of "Mr. Brightside".[5]

Keuning announced in August 2017 that he would not be joining the band to tour in supporting their fifth studio album, Wonderful Wonderful, although he would remain a member of the group.[6]

He debuted his solo music with the release of his first single "Restless Legs" under the moniker Keuning. The assemblage of new music, created by Keuning in his San Diego home studio, was taken from hundreds of voice memos that he stockpiled while on tour with the Killers over the previous decade that evolved into songs. Keuning's debut album, Prismism, was released on January 25, 2019, and is a collection of 14 tracks with almost all instruments played by Keuning himself.

Equipment

Guitars [7]

Sound Equipment

  • Furman AR15 Voltage Regulator
  • Axess Electronics FX1+ expansion board, midi foot controllers w/ Axess CFX4 control function switchers and custom made Axess Electronics Deville footswitch interfaces
  • Lectrosonics Wireless Units
  • Zaolla Artist and Zaolla Silverline series cables as cables and cable snakes
  • (2) duplicate FX racks are wired up w/Mogami Cable
  • Pedals, in Voodoo Lab GCX Audio Switcher Loops: Keeley Mod Ibanez TS9 (phat mod and baked mod)(x2), Boss DD6 Digital Delay, MXR Phase 100 (x2), Electro Harmonix Keeley Mod Big Muff Pi, Ibanez AD99 Keeley Mod Delay, Ibanez AC99 Keeley Mod Chorus, Digitech Whammy, TRex RoommSpate Reverb, and Buff Puff Boost. And for the acoustic: Fishman Aura Classical Pedal, Fishman Aura Dreadnought Pedal

Picks: Dunlop Nylon – 0.60mm, 0.73mm, 1.00mm

Amplifiers

NOTE: Hiwatt currently are one of Keuning's sponsors.[8]

Playing style

Keuning is noted as a guitarist for playing anthemic and soaring solos in addition to sweetened and often percussive style playing frequently. He is also noted for his "unusual voicings" and "digit-distending, string-skipping" finger work on the guitar in similar fashion of Andy Summers of The Police.[3]

Keuning was featured in Guitarist magazine in May 2009[9] and Guitar World in February 2009,[10] Guitar Player in January 2008 and February 2010,[3] and Guitar Aficionado in January 2013.

In 2010, Keuning's guitar riff in "Mr. Brightside" was voted at number 9 in Total Guitar's 50 greatest riffs of the 21st Century so far.[11]

Influences

Keuning cites influences such as The Edge, Robert Smith, Bernard Sumner, Billy Corgan, Jimi Hendrix, Keith Richards, George Harrison, Angus Young, and Mick Mars.

Discography
Main article: The Killers discography

As Keuning

Other appearances

  • "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" - Brandon Flowers (2010)[12]
  • "Wander" - We Are Hyena (2012)[13]
  • "This Is A Joke" (2014) - Bombay Heavy[14]
  • "Clouds Pretend" - The Hunt (2014)[15]
  • "Heavy Hand," "Goodbye Cambridge" - Blackout Balter (2016)

Awards and nominations

References
  1. Krol, Charlotte (October 12, 2018). ""I regret not doing it a lot sooner": The Killers' Dave Keuning tells us about his debut solo album 'Prismism'". NME. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  2. Biographicon: Dave Keuning
  3. "The Killers' Dave Keuning" Guitar Player Magazine Feb 2010 Iss.
  4. Longobardy, Joshua. "When he was young" Las Vegas Weekly. February 15, 2007. Third Page, First Paragraph.
  5. The Killers Bio VH1.com
  6. "Killers Guitarist Dave Keuning Announces Touring Break". August 28, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  7. http://www.thekillersfansite.com/article%20pics/guitarist%20magazine%20may2009/ggd3.jpg. Retrieved November 20, 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. "Hiwatt Genuine Amplifiers UK". Archived from the original on April 25, 2010. Retrieved April 18, 2010. Hiwatt Website: Artists
  9. Crompton, Jamie. "Dave Keuning Interview: Serial Killer" Guitarist May 2009 Iss.
  10. Bosso, Joe. "The Killers: All Killer No Filler" Guitar World Magazine. March 26, 2009.
  11. "Muse Dominate Best Guitar Riff Poll". GIGWISE.com.
  12. "Dave Keuning: 'The Killers Started Because I Lost My Job'". Archived from the original on February 21, 2014.
  13. "RHF - Music - We Are Hyena- Wander (Feat. Dave Keuning of The Killers)". Archived from the original on December 17, 2014.
  14. "Bombay Heavy - This Is A Joke, by BOMBAY HEAVY". Bombay Heavy. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  15. "Clouds Pretend (featuring Dave Keuning Of THE KILLERS)". Retrieved November 20, 2017.
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