The 'Mr. Brightside' hitmakers' latest LP 'Imploding the Mirage' is the first without the guitarist, who quit after recording 2017's 'Wonderful Wonderful', and though they initially tried to cover his absence, they eventually realised they had an opportunity to try new things.
Drummer Ronnie Vannucci said: "His absence helped us navigate things in a different way."
Singer Brandon Flowers added in an interview with The Sun newspaper: "At first we were guilty of trying to make it sound like we had a lead guitarist present. But we used the absence as an opportunity.
"I've got these keyboards I can play and we have these other ideas and so it opened up new doors and it was fun."
A number of guest stars appear on the album, and Brandon admitted it was a "pinch me" moment when Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham agreed to join them on 'Caution'.
He said: "We were lucky that he came down to the studio. To be in the room while he worked was something I'll never forget. We also went to dinner a couple of times and we tried to keep our cool but still hear the Fleetwood Mac stories."
Ronnie added: "I grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac so it was surreal. I FaceTimed my mom and I was like, 'Look, it's Lindsey'."
And the frontman hailed k.d. Lang's appearance on 'Lightning Fields' a "great victory".
He said: "It was a great victory to get her on the song. There's a wisdom in her delivery and that's why we went for someone like her."
Meanwhile, the 'When You Were Young' singer admitted his main target for the group's music is always radio airplay.
He said: "I was raised on the radio. Whether it was my dad playing oldies, my brother the alternative station or my sister on the R&B station. I was listening to all of it and it had a profound impact on me. I can't help it -- I want to be on the radio."
