The Killers recently launched an investigation into an allegation of sexual assault of a woman by the band's road crew backstage at a show in 2009. The story was posted by a female sound engineer, and while a lawyer for the Killers said their investigation found “no corroboration,” the band decided to take matters into their own hands moving forward — they hired an outside HR company. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci told USA Today, “Is there something to make people feel they’ve got someone to tell or someplace to go if there was some weirdness in the workplace? There is no such animal. Yes, there’s the cops and there’s management, and that should be enough. But I like the idea of setting up an independent HR-type situation. It’s important for people to feel safe and heard and valued, so if that’s what it has to come to, that’s what we’ll do.”
He added that allegations of the assault were “a complete surprise.”
During the USA Today interview, Vannucci also made note of the fact that the band will reunite with guitarist Dave Keuning in the studio this month. Keuning left the Killers in 2017 for a solo career.
The Killers new album — and first without Keuning — Imploding The Mirage, is being released today (Friday, August 21st).