(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Brandon Flowers says he has only just got used to performing live.

The star is lead singer for The Killers and is known for his flamboyant outfits and charismatic stage shows. Despite his seemingly outgoing personality, Brandon claims he used to dread singing in front of a crowd.

Since The Killers took a break from making music, he has recorded and released his debut solo album, Flamingo. Brandon admits he was afraid the old anxieties would return if he stopped performing, so he decided to work on his own material.

I can't take two years off... I mean, [it is hard for me] to just walk on stage, he told BBC 6 Music. It's something that I didn't feel comfortable doing in the beginning, and I'm just starting to feel like I belong there and I don't want to lose that.

There's a lot of confusion. People think I'm an egomaniac. They don't realise the band are actually really happy that I did this.

The 29-year-old musician finds song writing and performing live a cathartic experience. The lyrics to his songs are often inspired by events in his personal life and Brandon says that writing about his emotions can be therapeutic.

I'm so close to it that I think it'd be hard for me to tell, he explained. But I've always been very honest in my attempt at writing and I do purge, singing these songs every night. Every night there are moments in specific songs when I think of something that pertains to my life. And so I guess there is some sort of healing about it. (C) Cover Media